Let’s get personal: Do you have a big gut?
If so–and you’re middle aged–here’s yet another reason why it’s important to shed that stubborn fat.
Research now shows people who are predominantly apple-shaped (storing fat mostly in the stomach) lose more brain tissue as they age, putting them at risk for dementia.
It specifically reduced the brain’s gray matter, which contain nerve cells that aid in brain communication.
The study, which appears in the Jan. 9 issue of Neurology, studied more than 9,600 adults living in Europe, some of whom were clinically obese.
Many of them carried excess abdominal fat.
Looking at MRI brain scans, they found that obese individuals had the least gray matter, putting them at a higher risk of dementia.
This increased even more among those who had a thicker midsection.
So if you’re sporting a so-called “beer belly,” it’s time to take control:
By exercising more and eating cleaner, low-calorie foods.
The best way to reduce that belly and help save your brain?
Try high intensity interval training, or HIIT.
Research shows it elevates your metabolism for up to 24 hours–an easy way to whittle away any stubborn fat.
