| In the article Dementia: Just What Is It, we | | | | |
| have learned about a frightening term, | | | | Another downer: overweight people generally |
| Dementia, and just what it is or, rather, how | | | | were 35 percent more likely to have the brain |
| it manifests itself in the human condition. I | | | | illness (or condition). |
| gave 5 examples from my personal knowledge, | | | | |
| including myself. | | | | According to Rachel A. Whitmer, a research |
| | | | scientist at Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit |
| It would appear that "Dementia", in its | | | | medical group in Oakland, CA, "We're having |
| milder forms, is nothing more than a mild | | | | an epidemic of obesity that we've never seen |
| loss of memory. In its more severe, but still | | | | before and we know it causes a wide variety |
| mild, forms, it can take the guise of mild | | | | of illness. And now we can add to the list. |
| disorientation; sometimes so mild that one is | | | | We are going to see an unprecedented increase |
| not even aware of being disoriented. The | | | | in dementia as the baby boomers age." |
| milder cases were likely referred to in olden | | | | |
| times as "senility". Something none of us | | | | It's not known whether people can lower their |
| ever aspired to. | | | | risk of dementia if they lose the excess |
| | | | weight, "but that's one of the implications |
| However, there is a new body of information | | | | of the study," Whitmer says. |
| accumulating, and now published, which | | | | |
| indicates that "dementia" could be the result | | | | In addition, two smaller studies also found |
| of a natural condition, and which, if true, | | | | signs of brain atrophy, or shrinkage, among |
| puts at least half of the North American | | | | women with a high body mass index (or BMI - a |
| population "at risk"! | | | | measure of body fat based on a ratio of |
| | | | weight to height). A normal BMI is between |
| What is that condition? It is "obesity" and | | | | 18.6 and 24.9. |
| it is rampant in North America, affecting at | | | | |
| some estimates upwards of 60% of the | | | | Finally, a recent Swedish study found a high |
| population. And, according to a recent study | | | | BMI in old age is associated with an |
| published in the British Medical Journal, it | | | | increased risk of dementia in women. |
| is particularly harmful to people in the 40's | | | | |
| and up. The study tracked 10,000 men and | | | | OK, the jury is still out. Is it guaranteed |
| women over a period of 27 years. | | | | that just being overweight means I will get |
| | | | dementia? And, is this a "disease" or is it a |
| US scientists found people who were obese and | | | | "condition of imbalance". Finally, in either |
| between the ages of 40 and 45 were 74 per | | | | case, can it be corrected and if so, how? |
| cent more likely to have dementia later in | | | | Will it respond to diet? Will it respond to |
| life compared to those of "normal" weight. | | | | aromatherapy? Will it respond only to medical |
| And its worse for women: women were 200 per | | | | (read that chemical") intervention? |
| cent more likely to have dementia if they | | | | Interesting questions for future articles on |
| were obese in their 40's. | | | | Dementia so stay tuned. |