Thursday 16 June 2022 06:25 PM Being fat as a child may raise risk of dementia in old age, 30-year study ... trends now
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Overweight children may be more prone to getting dementia in old age, research suggests.
A study of 1,200 children, who were followed for 30 years, found fitter and skinner youngsters had better thinking skills later in life.
Scientists believe their enhanced cognitive ability could go on to shield them from being robbed of their memories in their old age.
Get moving kids! Experts say more active children have better cognitive abilities in their middle age and this could shield them from dementia
Child obesity rates have soared over the past few decades, with up to one third of youngsters fat by the time they start secondary school.
The rise — also seen in adults — has been blamed on junk food diets and sedentary lifestyles.
There is currently no cure for dementia, the umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders.
But there is no proven way to prevent memory loss either.
Staying healthy and exercise in middle-age have repeatedly been linked to warding off dementia.
Fresh research, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, suggest the protective effect could start even earlier in life.
Lead author Professor Michele Callisaya, of Monash University in Melbourne, said the findings supported public health strategies to cut childhood obesity rates.
'Developing strategies... are important because it could contribute to improvements in cognitive performance in midlife,' she said.
'The study also indicates that protective strategies against future cognitive decline may need to start as far back as early childhood.'
