People who were overweight or obese when they developed dementia had a lower risk of death than those at a normal weight, according to a large U.S. study published Sept. 30. Among 4,523 older adults, those with class 1 obesity at diagnosis had a 27% lower risk of death than normal-weight peers.
The finding does not mean gaining weight protects anyone with dementia, and the researchers say so plainly. But it supports a long-debated pattern known as the "obesity paradox" and spotlights a daily struggle for many families: keeping a loved one with dementia eating and well nourished.
