AsianScientist (Nov. 14, 2011) – A team from the University of Leicester’s Departments of Health Sciences and Cardiovascular Sciences has called for a redefinition of obesity thresholds in migrant South Asian populations.
According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), South Asians around the world are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, and they also develop diabetes at an earlier age.
Dr. Laura Gray and Professors Kamlesh Khunti and Melanie Davies led the research, analyzing data from over 6,000 participants screened for type 2 diabetes from Leicester.
The study, published in PLoS One, a journal of the Public Library of Science, concludes that significantly lower BMI and waist circumference cut points for defining obesity are needed for migrant South Asians.
“Our study shows that the conventional definition of obesity (BMI 30 kg/m2) needs to be lowered in migrant South Asians to detect equivalent levels of cardiovascular risk, based on levels of glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol,” said Prof. Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester.
“It suggests that migrant South Asians should be classed as obese, and therefore at high risk of developing diabetes based on a BMI of between 23-28 kg/m2,” he said.
The researchers also define similar lower cut points for waist circumference.
According to Prof. Khunti, this study is the first to reassess obesity definitions in a migrant U.K. South Asian population, and may have huge implications for screening strategies for South Asians around the world.
The article can be found at: Gray LJ et al. (2011) Defining Obesity Cut-Off Points for Migrant South Asians.
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Source: University of Leicester. Photo: Curt Carnemark/World Bank.
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