If you suffer from girth imbalance—also known as belly fat—you certainly are not alone. It is estimated that 50 percent of adult Americans carry unhealthy supplies of fat around their middle. Excess fat, particularly in the abdomen, can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and premature death. Researchers have now concluded that that creeping middle age belly fat also predisposes us to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Dementia is an age-related disease that robs its victims of memory and cognitive functions; things like perception, reasoning, judgment, thinking, and speech. One in ten Americans over the age of 65 suffers from some form of dementia; 60 to 80 percent suffer its most common form, Alzheimer’s disease.