Research

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Standard BMI and waist circumference cut-points may underestimate metabolic risk in Asian-Americans and overestimate it in Non-Hispanic Black women, necessitating ethnic-specific definitions for central obesity.

If you are Asian or Black, standard BMI and waist measurements might not accurately reflect your diabetes risk. Doctors should use ethnicity-specific guidelines to assess your metabolic health, as your body may store fat differently than the standard population.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
There are important implications regarding the definition of obesity in different race/ethnic groups, including potential underestimation of disease risk in Asian-Americans and overestimation in non-Hispanic black women. Ethnic-specific cut-points for central obesity should be determined so that clinicians can adequately assess metabolic risk.
Sherita Hill Golden et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2012

Why this rating

Supported by specific studies cited in the text regarding body fat distribution differences.

Source

Health Disparities in Endocrine Disorders: Biological, Clinical, and Nonclinical Factors—An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement

Sherita Hill Golden et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2012

DOI 10.1210/jc.2012-2043

narrative_reviewCited 403×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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