6 Back-to-Normal Health Tests You Need to Try

Where have I gained (or lost) weight?

Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, plays a role in how our weight is distributed. As we lose muscle in our legs, chest and back, we gain weight in our bellies. That's because one of the things muscle does so well is to store calories, in the form of glycogen. If you have less muscle, you have less storage space, and so those excess calories get converted to belly fat. Seventy-two percent of men and 44 percent of women over age 65 can be characterized as at least moderately sarcopenic, according to one study.

Test yourself: The expanding-waist check

There are two parts to this. First, take a tape measure and wrap it around your midsection at the level of your navel. Despite what jeans marketers have sold us, that's actually where your waist is. If you don't have a tape measure, use a piece of string, then measure the string with a ruler. The American Heart Association says a waist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches for women is considered “abdominal obesity,” no matter what your body weight is or how tall you are.

Now, run the tape over your hip bones at their widest point. Here comes the math: Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The World Health Organization classifies 0.9 or above in men and 0.85 or above in women as obese.

Why these measures? Central (belly) obesity surrounds your liver and other organs in metabolically active fat, meaning it manufactures chemicals that raise inflammation and promote disease. Research has linked weight gain after age 55 to higher risk of death from any cause; risk is particularly high if you put on more than 20 pounds.

Central (belly) obesity is no joke: It surrounds your liver and other organs in metabolically active fat, raising inflammation, one reason why being obese is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, even Alzheimer's. In one study of older adults, women with central obesity were 39 percent more likely to develop dementia over the next 15 years than those without.

As for that weight gain, don't let “older people have a harder time losing weight” be an excuse. A 2020 study from the UK of two groups of obese people found that those older than age 60 lost a statistically identical amount of weight as those younger than 60.

To address your weight, it's time to look at your diet — in step two.

Step 2: Test Your Diet