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Most studies that have shown an association between obesity and increased risk for dementia have used surrogate measures of adiposity like body-mass index and waist circumference. Direct measurements of fat mass might be more accurate in older populations. Kanaya and colleagues examined whether radiographically ascertained measures of adiposity (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography) and standard surrogate measures of adiposity were both related to changes in cognitive function over a 7-year period in 3054 elders (baseline age range, 70–79). By almost all measures, both surrogate and direct, greater adiposity was significantly associated with greater cognitive decline in men, but not in women. Adjustments for demographics…