Study: Those with higher BMI may be at greater risk of developing dementia

BMI.
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By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dementia is a major public health issue in the U.S. with 5.8 million people in the country living with the disease, and as a result, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent in research. 

Now, we are starting to see some of the results of all this money being plowed into studies. 

The latest is research looking at people who are overweight and have a big waistline. According to a new study in the journal Neurology, these people may be at a greater risk of developing dementia. 

Scientists are not sure why, but they found that people who have a higher BMI have a part of their brain, the cortex, unusually thin. This puts them at a greater risk for Alzheimer's. 

This is one of those reports where we really don't have to wait for the results as it's just another source of motivation to try to get into better shape.