How current Guidelines for obesity underestimate risk in certain ethnicities and overestimate risk in others

The consequences of the worldwide epidemic of obesity include a global increase in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Guidelines to achieve early diagnosis of obesity, particularly central obesity, have been created by several organizations. These guidelines have been developed in Caucasian populations, but evidence is emerging that suggests substantial ethnic and sex differences in the relationships between body size, body fat distribution, and the risk of obesity-related long-term diseases. Comparisons by ethnicity and sex have revealed that the universal application of criteria for obesity and central obesity developed in Caucasians leads to an overestimation of risk in African Americans and an underestimation of risk in South Asians. Research is warranted to determine if ethnic-and sex-specific criteria for the diagnosis of obesity improve risk estimation and the development of effective interventions.

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