BMI system may leave BAME people ‘unknowingly at risk’ of type 2 diabetes
Researches are calling for changes to the BMI system (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Researchers are calling for changes to the BMI system to ensure BAME people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes do not “slip through the net”.
The study, involving 1.5 million people in England, found that outdated BMI cut-offs mean people from BAME backgrounds are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes at a much lower BMI than people from white ethnic backgrounds.
The researchers used their findings to create new ethnic-specific obesity cut-off points and are urging the NHS to adopt these as standard practices to avoid people from BAME backgrounds not being checked for type 2 diabetes as early as their white counterparts.