Mental decline faster for fatter men, not women

Probably wrong for all intents and purposes.

"Men in their 70s who are carrying more fat on their frames have a sharper decline in mental function over time than their slimmer peers, according to a new study in the Archives of Neurology.

But for women, there was no link between excess fat and worsening cognitive function; in fact, there was a tendency for the heavier women to fare better, although it didn't reach statistical significance, Dr. Alka M. Kanaya of the University of California-San Francisco and her colleagues found.

While obesity has been linked to dementia...

Over the next 7 years, the researchers found, the men with the most body fat and the most subcutaneous fat in their abdominal area showed the greatest decline in mental function. Fat surrounding the abdominal organs, also known as visceral fat, was linked to mental decline, as was BMI, waist circumference, and sagittal diameter.

But for women, there was no significant relationship between any measures of body fat and mental decline."

Maybe the women just bottomed-out (no pun intended) earlier so there was less to decline.

Whatever.

To get fat one has to already have had a significant mental decline.

And it makes no difference whether you are male or female.