Sarcopenia

What it means

Muscle mass tends to decline from middle age onward, and the pace often picks up after 60. Low activity, low protein intake and illness can speed it up.

Rapid weight loss raises a fair question for older adults: how much of the lost weight is muscle? That matters more for someone with less muscle to begin with.

The best supported ways to slow muscle loss are resistance training two or more days a week and eating enough protein spread across meals. Older adults on a GLP-1 may want to ask their care team about strength testing or a body composition scan.

Grip strength and the time it takes to stand up from a chair five times are simple tests clinicians use to screen for low muscle strength.

Why it matters

It is the reason Sunny Weigh pairs every weight-loss projection with a protein floor and strength-training nudge.