Middle-age spread associated with Alzheimer’s, and why
Google may be bad for your brain.
The News About Fat
Just Keeps Getting Worse
The Journal of Alzheimer’s and Dementia reported the
results of a study on fat as an Alzheimer’s factor. This very large study-1.3
million subjects- reviewed data comparing Body Mass Index (BMI) to incurrence
of dementia. BMI measures the relationship between height and weight. The
finding was stark and severe: being over-weight at middle age increases
the risk of dementia later in life. The study was performed by a
highly-respected research team, led by Psychology Professor Mika Kivimaki at
University College London and Ritva Luukkonen from the Department of
Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Helsinki and included experts
from throughout Europe. Study details here.
Consumer safety tip: it contains math you didn’t see in high school.
Is Google Shrinking
Your Brain?
Frank Gunn-Moore is a professor at the University of St
Andrews in Scotland, and Director of Alzheimer’s Research. In public comments
in advance of his upcoming address at an Alzheimer’s event, reported in the
Dundee Scotland Sunday
Post, Moore said: “…these days we seem to outsource our brain to the
Internet. It’s an experiment the human race is running and we will have to wait
and see if this outsourcing affects dementia prevalence”.
In other words, Dr. Gunn-Moore is encouraging us to use our
recall, grab a dictionary or other reference book and so on to build and
reinforce memories rather than reaching for that smartphone.
We’re Not Going to
Take It Anymore
The list of things under our control that raise our risk of
dementia is solidifying: being sedentary, overweight, consuming too much sugar
and drinking too much alcohol are all associated with a higher risk. This
recent study shows that the part of the risk stemming from being fat begins at
an earlier age, specifically middle age.
Here’s our prescription and shameless plugs: get your
children off the screen and moving to develop good exercise habits at an early
age, and buy some of our cool,
non-digital toys that require thinking and, in some cases, movement. For
adults, fight that expanding waist line with our light-weight, luggage friendly
exercise
straps and bands kit.
www.BigBrain.Place
offers fun products that are good for your brain.
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