‘Skinny Fat’ In Older Adults May Predict Dementia, Alzheimer’s Risk

Some adults, including the elderly, have a condition doctors refer to as skinny fat. This is when muscle mass is reduced compared to what might be normal for that person. Many adults, as they age, will begin to lose muscle tone as their bodies deteriorate; and this process can accelerate if they do not maintain a regular exercise schedule to keep up their bodies. While there are physical health effects that can result from reduced musculature in the body, it turns out there are also correlations with cognitive decline as well.

New research from Florida Atlantic University looked at elderly adults, tracking their levels of both obesity and skinny fat. They were tested on performance standards such as grip strength as well as mental ability. Participants who had higher levels of skinny fat scored the lowest on the cognitive scales.

While the exact mechanisms at work within the body and mind that affect cognition in this way are still unclear, the results are quite obvious. Allowing one’s body to decline with a sedentary lifestyle puts not just your physical health at risk, but also your mental acuity as well. With the uptick in cognitive disorders rising as the worldwide population continues to live longer compared to previous eras, more of medical science is investigating these types of conditions that people are now being exposed to.