This suggests that a quarter of the UK population could be at risk of Alzheimer's, with one in four adults considered overweight or obese.

The physicians tied a specific type of body fat, known as visceral fat, to higher levels of abnormal proteins in the brain that are indicators of Alzheimer’s. Visceral fat builds up around and between internal organs and can increase the risk of serious health issues. It is different than subcutaneous fat, which is fat just below the skin.

People who are obese and harbor deep belly fat are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease-specific proteins in the brain up to 20 years before the earliest dementia symptoms, a new study suggests.

Many of us know about the most evident signs of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects brain function, leading to memory loss, and behaviour and mood alterations. But recent research has indicated that a physical precursor to the disease might manifest on the body long before any cognitive decline is noticed.

Excessive belly fat may start causing Alzheimer’s disease 20 years before symptoms emerge, new research suggests.