The significance of the ratio of body weight/height as a practical obesity index and the changes in the values in Japanese adults.

1. It was observed that the W/H ratio highly correlated with body weight, while it had low correlation with age and height. From this fact, the W/H ratio was considered to have a practical value as an index from which adult obesity can be more easily judged than from BMI. 2. The W/H ratios of Japanese adults continue to increase in men of all age groups and women in the 50 or older age groups. That is, people tend towards obesity with age. Thus this fact may be associated with the increase in incidence of adult diseases in Japan.