Were you overweight before the age of 50? Your chances of dementia may increase

Need fresh motivation to lose weight? Young people who are overweight or obese face an increased risk of developing dementia in their golden years, new research suggests.

For the study, scientists looked at just over 5,100 elderly people who participated in two long-term studies. They found that overweight women between the ages of 20 and 49 were almost twice as likely to develop dementia after age 70. And older men and women who were obese in their early years had a 150% increased risk.

The findings build on previous research that linked overweight in middle age to an increased risk of dementia among older adults. .

But the new study doesn't prove that being overweight causes dementia, only that the two are linked, says lead author Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri. She is an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York.

“However, studies show that obesity in adulthood is an important risk factor for dementia. Regardless of BMI, a person in middle or late age who is obese or sometimes overweight at a young age has a higher risk of developing dementia after 70″.