Plenty of research points to the health dangers of excess belly – or abdominal – fat, from preventing type 2 diabetes, to high blood pressure and more. Last week, a study published in the journal Neurology conducted by Kaiser Permanente’s research arm, linked excess belly fat to a high risk of dementia. Researchers found that the more belly fat participants were toting around, the greater their risk for dementia. For many years now, experts have thought the fat around the middle is more metabolically active than fat distributed throughout the body under the skin. This metabolic activity triggers a  cascade of events that puts inflammation and insulin resistance into motion. It’s the same series of events that lead to the development of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. What to do? Take action now to trim down and get fit. Hmmm – where have we heard this advice before?