If you’re one of those types who read to the bottom of the page, you’ve seen that I lead a mental health team for older adults. You might have noticed that I write often about issues related to dementia. I don’t always see the two as connected because the folks who pay for treatment have categorized dementia as a medical problem, not a mental problem. I could explain why, but it wouldn’t make any more sense than it does without a rationale. In the papers there was a story about how a big belly in your forties is related to cognitive decline in your seventies. I can’t tell you how much that news meant to me personally. The photo doesn’t show me in full figure for a reason, we have to leave room for the column. Since I’m out of my forties, I guess I can plan well for about twenty years to minimize the damage. I can buy long-term care insurance. I can develop my support network. I can simplify my life so the number of things I need to remember are few. And I can read the studies with an informed eye. The facts are that when the risk for dementia doubled with a large belly, 16 out of 100 subjects were affected. That means 84 out of 100 were not. That’s better odds than you can get in Vegas. I probably will not get dementia. Anyone who can read this probably will not get dementia because education level is a huge protective factor. It is surely better to make healthy choices. It is wise to take good care yourself. I should do those things I listed earlier to prepare anyway, because that is the smart thing to do. I plan to talk a little more about the kinds of mental illness that seniors do report in the next few weeks but right now I have to try to do some sit-ups.