asian body mass index: what you should know

Most health experts believe that there is one standard cut-off for high-risk BMI values and this standard covers all sexes and nationalities. However, newer studies reveal that the high-risk BMI value that may be true to one race may be too high for another race. Because of this issue, the World Health Organization addressed this problem, investigated, and reconciled the real discrepancies in the high-risk BMI values that are true for Europeans and Asians.

According to the study published by Lancet in January 2004, Asians who are at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart problems have lower BMI values compared to their European and American counterparts. In fact, their BMI values are substantially lower than the usual cut-off BMI value recommended by the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization’s cut-off for overweight is 25 kg/m². However, available clinical data reveal that Asians with a mean BMI value of 22 to 25 kg/m² can already have a risk, which is the same as that of an American who has a BMI value of more than 25 kg/m².

The body mass index cut-off point has many uses for the management of overweight and obesity and their corresponding chronic health complications. With the help of these cut-off points, policies and facilitation of preventive measures can be put into play. The timing for appropriate intervention can be planned depending on the need that is dependent on the existing BMI cut-off point. In the epidemiological point of view, BMI values exist to determine the relationship between the existing health problems and the probable triggering factors that may result into such disease. Clinically, BMI value cut-offs exist to determine which patient is at risk. It can also determine the magnitude of the existing problem by comparing it with the existing normal BMI values. From there, it will be easier for any practitioner to decide for his course of action and treatment management depending on the values presented to him by his patient.

Co-morbidities do exists in the ever-increasing values of the body mass index. In addition, in the Asian population, these co-morbidities may manifest themselves even in a much lower value that is considered normal for Europeans and Americans alike.

There also exists a problem in the presence of inter-racial subgroups. Variations in the country of origin and migration status may also affect the possible obesity outcomes even in the same population. In the United States, a place where racial intermarriages are common, overweight Asian Americans have a very low incidence rate as expected using the current BMI classifications. However, this incidence rate will increase as more and more Asian Americans are born in the United States and more and more decided to stay in this country.

The body mass index in actuality is the correlation of the body fat percentage and the height. It serves as an unbiased comparison even when tall and short population groups exist. Nevertheless, since body fat cannot be measured directly using the body mass index values, there is still a possibility that it is actually measuring the amount of muscles built in patients who work out instead of the actual body fat mass.

In general, as analyzed by the World Health Organization, Asian women, except of Chinese, and Asian men have lower normal body mass index values for age compared to the whites. Compared to the European population, the Asians have a BMI value that is 1.3 kg/m² lesser than the European population.

Indeed, in the Asian race, health problems and other complications can start to exist even in BMI values that are considered normal for the white population. However, further researches are necessary to establish the overweight and obesity values in the Asian population once and for all.

Reference:

The Lancet; Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies; World Health Organization Expert Consultation; January 2004