Using appropriate body mass index cut points for overweight and obesity among Asian Americans

• Published in: Preventive medicine Vol. 65; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Jih, Jane, Mukherjea, Arnab, Vittinghoff, Eric, Nguyen, Tung T., Tsoh, Janice Y., Fukuoka, Yoshimi, Bender, Melinda S., Tseng, Winston, Kanaya, Alka M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Asian - ethnology; Asian - statistics & numerical data; Asian Americans; Asian People - ethnology; Asian People - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American; Body Mass Index; California - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Minority health; Miscellaneous; Obesity; Obesity - classification; Obesity - ethnology; Overweight; Overweight - classification; Overweight - ethnology; Philippino; Prevalence; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reference Values; Time Factors; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; White People - statistics & numerical data; World Health Organization; California; USA, California; Japan; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Asian Americans; Minority health; Overweight; Endocrinopathy; Type 2 diabetes; Ethnic origin; Asiatic; American; Body weight; Nutrition disorder; Metabolic diseases; Corporal biometry; Recommendation; Body mass index; Minority; Nutritional status; Public health
• ISSN: 0091-7435; 1096-0260; 1096-0260
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.04.010

Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California. Secondary analysis of the 2009 adult California Health Interview Survey (n=45,946) of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), African Americans, Hispanics and Asians (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Japanese). WHO Asian BMI cut points (overweight=23–27.5kg/m2; obese≥27.5kg/m2) were used for Asian subgroups. Standard BMI cut points (overweight=25–29.9kg/m2; obese≥30kg/m2) were applied for other groups. Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos (78.6%), which was higher than NHWs (p<0.001) but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23–24.9kg/m2 and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5–29.9kg/m2, the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups. Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans. •The WHO advises lower BMI cut points for overweight/obesity in Asians.•Using these cut points, Filipinos have the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity.•Most Asian subgroups have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points.•Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening.•WHO Asian BMI cut points may be useful to identify at-risk Asian Americans.