Is obesity linked to a lower risk of dementia-associated mortality?
The thing about medical studies is that they're often looking at just one issue from one point of view -- and when you include more variables, different sorts of folks or ask different questions, you can end up with conflicting opinions.
Nothing is a clearer example of that than the recent study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease that found that when folks who had a BMI of 30-34.9 (Class 1 obesity) were diagnosed with dementia, they had a 27% lower risk of mortality over the coming years compared to folks with dementia who had a healthy weight.
Does that mean that it's to your advantage to be obese when you are diagnosed with dementia? Not. At. All.
What it may imply, say the researchers, is that long before dementia is diagnosed, folks may experience unwanted weight loss (because of dementia-associated harmful changes in habits) and that makes them vulnerable to earlier mortality. Or it may be that folks with obesity who somehow overcome their increased risk of obesity-related, life-shortening diseases are a "uniquely resilient subset of the population" and live longer with dementia than expected.
What we do know for sure: 1. Obesity is preventable and reversible with smart lifestyle choices. 2. Studies show that almost 50% of dementia cases worldwide are preventable (I believe it may be as high as 90% if you follow 40 choices shown to be effective in at least two studies.) To help you combat both conditions, check out my upcoming book, "YOU: Getting Older, the Owner's Manual for Your Golden Years."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at drmikerealage@gmail.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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