Mixed

The association between BMI and diabetes prevalence is strongest in South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh) and weakest in Japan, suggesting geographic and ethnic variations in diabetes risk at a given BMI.

Diabetes risk at a given body weight varies by where you are from. This study found that for South Asians (Indian, Bangladeshi), the link between high BMI and diabetes is stronger than for East Asians (Japanese). This suggests that South Asian individuals might benefit from maintaining a lower BMI target to prevent diabetes compared to other Asian ethnicities.