Obesity not only increases risks to physical ailments and diseases, but new research finds it can cause mental problems, too.

People who are obese in middle age and have high blood pressure and other "metabolic risk factors" have a faster cognitive decline as they get older than people of normal weight, according to a large study published Monday in the journal Neurology.

The study of about 6,400 participants spanned 10 years. The findings add to research indicating that obesity increases the risk of dementia later in life.

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