Abdominal Obesity among Asian Indians
- High prevalence of abdominal obesity is a characteristic feature of Asian Indians and all South Asians. Furthermore, abdominal obesity can occur even in the absence of elevated body mass Index (BMI). Unlike other populations abdominal obesity has been reported even at BMI levels <20kg/m2 and is seen even at a young age.1-8
- At any given BMI or waist circumference, compared to Europids, South Asians have more abdominal visceral fat, higher degree of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension and diabetes all of which are implicated in the pathogenesis of premature coronary artery disease (CAD).6, 9, 10
- Such abnormalities are evident even in children as young as 8-11 years of age who have higher insulin levels at a waist circumference (WC) of 80 cm compared to Europid children with a WC of >90 cm.6, 11 (Figure 047)11 . In Indian children with a WC of 80cm have higher insulin levels, (a predictor of impending diabetes) than white children with WC of 90cm.11This underscores the rationale for lower cutpoints for WC for Indians.
- At a similar body fat percentage South Asian men in the US have 10 cm lower waist circumference than Europids.12
- In recognition of the heightened risk at lower WC in Asian populations and to harmonize the definition of metabolic syndrome throughout the world, all major International organizations have jointly published a consensus document with ethnic and gender specific criteria for WC in 2009, which have also been endorsed by Indo-US Health summit and Indian Consensus group (see Abdominal Obesity Criteria).13 14
- The WC cut point for the diagnosis of abdominal obesity is >90cm for Asian Indian men and as opposed to >102cm for Europid men. The respective cut points are >80 cm for Asian Indian women and 88cm for Europid women. These values are about 8-12 cm lower than that recommended for Europids, and underscore the need for early institution of weight management programs.15 Despite endorsement by several expert bodies, these lower cutpoints for Asian Indians remain largely unrecognized by the medical community and the general public alike in both the US and India.13, 14, 16
- In a study of Asian Indians with a mean age of 22 years living in the US, the mean WC was 87 cm for men and 79 cm for women.17 These values at this young age are alarmingly close to the Asian Indian cutpoints and portend an epidemic of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in the second and third generations of Asian Indians in the US.18
- The differences in the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity by various criteria in the New Delhi birth cohort at age 36 are shown in the Figure 021. Abdominal obesity was found in 70% of men and women but BMI >30 was found only 20 % of men and 35% of women and underscore the magnitude of underestimation of metabolic risk among Asian Indians by just focusing on BMI.19
- Using the standard (Europid) waist circumference (> 102/88), the prevalence of abdominal obesity among Asian Indians was only 22% in the UK but increased to 44% when WHR criteria was used and decreased to 12% when BMI >30 was used.20, 21
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