PS: Seems like a "Recovering academic" would have more respect for independent research.

Oh, lets see the data to back up your assumptions. Muscle is genetic and highly heritable - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4816288/ -- people less genetically blessed can be consistent and still struggle, especially the more they are up against the genetic 8 ball. You are grossly oversimplifying a very complex matter.

Muscle is the key. But it is genetic and highly heritable. Some people are born with more, some less. And muscle fiber ratio matters. Some people put on muscle easily and maintain it easily, others not so much. Proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle are vital.

2006 - TOFI, 2016, normal-weight obesity.

Every article in the white paper is thoroughly referenced.

These are the current facts:

1. There is no standardized way to measure total muscle tissue
2. There is no standardized baseline average to compare #1 to
3. There is no standardized baseline phenotype to compare #1 and #2 to
4. There is no standardized way to measure total genetic muscle tissue from birth, or ever
5. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is added via exercise – resistance or extreme cardio (hypertrophy)
6. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via poor diet, exercise, or lifestyle (atrophy)
7. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via aging (sarcopenia)

No one has been asked for anything.

Getting cutting-edge science out to the world is very difficult. We are working on a dataset peer-reviewed paper, as well as a MRI Study (you can find on ResearchHub).

As scientists, we prefer to maintain privacy as much as possible, especially on social media where ruthless ire, hatred, derision, and bullying are common. All of our work can be reviewed at the links in the bio. Or feel free to ask any questions here.

No, it does not. Waist-to-height ratio does not measure muscle in any capacity. You have no idea how much muscle you were born with or without (skinny fat). You have no idea how your muscle compares to the average, because there is no baseline average to compare it to. You have no idea if your body falls within "normal" phenotype range, because there is no standardized baseline phenotype to compare it to. The next time you see your doctor, ask them how much muscle you were born with, how it compares to the average, and how it compares to the average phenotype...let us all know what they say...

Yes, BMI is a limited, inaccurate proxy measure. But it is the only currently NIH-accepted method, and has not been officially changed by the NIH since 1998.

Lean body mass (LBM) – DEXA, InBody, etc. – is a composite of all non-fat body tissue. it is also not a direct measure of muscle tissue. Like BMI and waist-to-height ratio, LBM is an inaccurate proxy estimate at best.

As of September 13, 2026 –

1. There is no standardized way to measure total muscle tissue
2. There is no standardized baseline average to compare #1 to
3. There is no standardized baseline phenotype to compare #1 and #2 to
4. There is no standardized way to measure total genetic muscle tissue from birth, or ever
5. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is added via exercise – resistance or extreme cardio (hypertrophy)
6. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via poor diet, exercise, or lifestyle (atrophy)
7. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via aging (sarcopenia)

In terms of official literature, it was not first mentioned until 2006 - "thin outside, fat inside" (TOFI).

You ask questions to clarify things.

Yes, BMI is a limited, inaccurate proxy measure.

Lean body mass (LBM) – DEXA, InBody, etc. – is a composite of all non-fat body tissue. it is also not a direct measure of muscle tissue. Like BMI, LBM is an inaccurate proxy estimate at best.

As of September 13, 2026 –

1. There is no standardized way to measure total muscle tissue
2. There is no standardized baseline average to compare #1 to
3. There is no standardized baseline phenotype to compare #1 and #2 to
4. There is no standardized way to measure total genetic muscle tissue from birth, or ever
5. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is added via exercise – resistance or extreme cardio (hypertrophy)
6. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via poor diet, exercise, or lifestyle (atrophy)
7. There is no standardized way to measure how much muscle tissue is lost via aging (sarcopenia)