Alarming results of a 27-year longitudinal study found that being overweight and obese during midlife greatly increases the risk of developing dementia later in life; a 35% and 74% greater risk respectively as compared to healthy weight individuals. As our population ages, it is expected that the incidence of dementia will increase 400% in the next 20 years; the economic impact of obesity and aging will be staggering. Furthermore, other studies indicate that individuals who are obese in midlife have five times higher risk of developing frailty as they age. Given the large percentage of individuals with disabilities who are obese as compared to the general population, greater efforts are needed to combat this serious problem. In almost every study published on obesity rates between people with and without disabilities, those of people with disabilities are always significantly higher. These results highlight the importance of leading a healthy active lifestyle across the lifespan and finding good strategies for optimizing obesity management in people with disabilities.
Source:
Mapes, M. (n.d.). Heavy mettle. Endocrine News,2014(February), 17-19. Retrieved from https://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/34023/323165/pub/