Going into middle age with a big belly could set the wheels in motion for dementia in later life, a new study says.

Scientists have known for some time that belly size is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, stroke and heart disease, but this is the first study to show a connection between mid-life abdominal fat and dementia.

“People need to be concerned not only about their weight, but where they carry their weight in mid-life,” said Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland and lead researcher of the study.

Read the story at the fresnobee.com