A beer belly puts men at greater risk of serious illness

Carrying excess weight around the waist can be a predictor of chronic disease, and men may be at risk more than women

New research suggests that men with obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors face brain health decline a decade earlier than women with similar risk factors. Picture: iStock.

Round protruding bellies are a bugbear of many men and women as they approach middle age. But ‘apple shapes’ or ‘beer bellies’ can also be a predictor of chronic disease, including dementia.

New research suggests that men with obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors face brain health decline a decade earlier than women with similar risk factors.