It's not clear why this type of obesity would promote dementia, but some researchers suspect abdominal fat may release chemicals that harm the brain.
Carrying extra weight around the middle can lead to some serious health problems. Now there's even more research showing a link between abdominal obesity and increased dementia risk. A study in the journal Neurology followed more than 6,500 men and women for 36 years. Researchers found those with the highest levels of abdominal fat had nearly a three-fold increase risk of dementia.