Research

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In older adults, a high Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI) is a valid indicator of sarcopenic obesity, characterized by simultaneously high fat mass and low muscle mass.

For older adults, standard BMI or waist size can hide dangerous muscle loss. Use the Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI): divide your waist circumference (cm) by the square root of your weight (kg). A higher WWI score indicates a higher risk of having both excess fat and low muscle (sarcopenic obesity), which is a critical health risk factor in aging.

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WWI is an anthropometric index positively associated with fat mass and negatively associated with muscle mass in older adults.
Nam Hoon Kim et al. · Age and Ageing · 2020

Why this rating

Cross-sectional study with rigorous body composition measurements (DXA, CT, BIA) on 602 older adults, though limited to one ethnic group.

Source

Weight-adjusted waist index reflects fat and muscle mass in the opposite direction in older adults

Nam Hoon Kim et al. · Age and Ageing · 2020

DOI 10.1093/ageing/afaa208

cross_sectional · n=602Cited 288×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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