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There are plenty of excellent reasons to maintain a normal weight. If you need another one, a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology provides another reason for getting in shape. Researchers have found a positive association between a hormone associated with belly fat or visceral fat and all-cause dementia.

Alzheimer disease takes nearly 75,000 lives each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the disease progresses, brain cells literally degenerate. Risk factors include age, family history and poor health. Some of these you cannot control, of course. However, the findings of the findings of the study provide some insight in ones that you may be able to reduce.

The hormone identified by the researchers can affect how your body responses to insulin. Poorly-controlled diabetes is another risk factor for this devastating condition. Looking at diabetes, being overweight is a major risk factor. The study suggests that insulin resistance and inflammation may in turn, increase the chances of developing all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease.

All of these data point to an action you can take to help ensure your quality of life as you age. Namely, weight control is imperative. Not only will you reduce your risk of diabetes, you can manage other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. If you needed a reason to take charge of your weight, these findings are hard to ignore. Personally, I can’t imagine anything more devastating for anyone to endure than Alzheimer disease. If my weekly exercise sessions will help prevent it, I need no greater motivation.