Having a beer belly means you're more likely to get dementia, researchers conclude

Blokes with beer bellies are more likely to get dementia later in life, new research suggests.

A study of middle-aged men concluded that being overweight could lead to a lower brain function - and subsequent development of the likes of Alzheimer's. Scientists say that having more fat in your liver and pancreas could also increase your dementia risk.

The study, conducted by Rutgers University and published in the Obesity journal, found that visceral fat, which surrounds vital organs and creates the "beer belly" appearance, leaks fatty acids into the bloodstream.

Michal Schnaider Beeri, of Rutgers Health, New Jersey, said: "In middle-aged males at high Alzheimer's risk, but not females, higher pancreatic fat was associated with lower cognition and brain volumes, suggesting a potential sex-specific link between distinct abdominal fat with brain health."

Sapir Golan Shekhtman, of Sheba Medical Center in Israel, added: "Our findings indicate stronger correlations compared to the relationships between BMI and cognition, suggesting that abdominal fat depots, rather than BMI, is a risk factor for lower cognitive functioning and higher dementia risk."

The link between general obesity and dementia has been well-documented by scientific studies. According to the NHS, having at least five portions of fruit and veg, drinking around eight glasses of water a day and aiming to eat 30g of fibre is a good place to start.