Objective: To determine which anthropometric methods of assessing body fat distribution are the most predictive of the insulin resistance of aging.
Design: Commonly used indices of regional adiposity were correlated with whole-body insulin sensitivity in 55 men and 29 women (age range 18-80 years).
Measurements: Insulin sensitivity (SI, minimal model), waist and hip girths, waist-to-hip ratios, conicity index, skinfolds, body fat percentage, maximal oxygen consumption.
Results: There was a wide disparity in the strength of relationships between commonly used anthropometric indices of fat distribution and whole-body insulin sensitivity. In both sexes minimal waist girth, however, was the primary variable in multivariate regression analysis, accounting for approximately 37% of the variance in SI.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that anthropometric measures of regional adiposity are not interchangeable and/or equivalent when attempting to discern relationships between body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, and aging.