No matter how diligent, careful, or disciplined we are, many, if not most of us, seem to lose the battle over middle-aged “spread.” Our bellies begin to expand as the years go by, so that by late middle age, into our senior years, we may have a large protruding belly. It turns out that it may not be just a lack of willpower or late-night snacking that’s the problem. In new research just published in Science, scientists offer insights into why our fat cells seem out of control as we enter middle age. Apparently, once we reach our 40s, our bodies begin to make new fat cells in what seems like a programmed biological process. These new fat cells can especially be found in the deep belly fat that surrounds our organs (known as visceral fat). While this research may give us insights into how to fight back to limit or reverse the proliferation of belly fat, for the moment, we may be off the hook for “belly culpability,” though not for the health effects that a growing waistline can pose. For more on the research into this “growing” problem, click here.

In fact, we have mounting evidence that belly fat may be directly implicated in your brain health as you get older. According to a study presented at the Radiological Society of America meeting this past December, visceral fat (as mentioned above) found in middle-aged adults appears to be linked to early Alzheimer’s pathology, even if the symptoms of Alzheimer’s may not appear for decades. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that the visceral fat surrounding your organs significantly increases the presence of amyloid and tau proteins (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s). While the presence of these risk factors may be worrisome, the discovery opens up the possibility of early intervention before Alzheimer’s symptoms have surfaced, including lifestyle changes that can potentially reduce the presence of visceral fat in your body. While there appears to be no way to directly target visceral fat, general weight management strategies can have an impact, including calorie reduction, exercise, and potentially even weight loss medications. For more on this study connecting brain health and visceral fat, start counting your calories and click here.   

One additional recent study also found a connection between middle-age diet, abdominal fat, and brain health in older age. According to this study, published in JAMA Network Open, “individuals who followed healthier diets and had lower waist to hip ratios between the ages of 48 and 70 showed stronger brain connectivity and better cognitive performance as they aged.” Study participants who had a higher waist-to-hip ratio (which suggests a growing belly) had worse performance on memory and cognitive function tests as they got older. While the study showed a correlation between diet, belly fat, and brain aging (not causation), it once again underscores the value of healthy eating and weight maintenance to support brain health in your later years. So stock up on salad, begin those core exercises, and read more about this study here.