Asian Americans have an obesity rate of just 11 percent. That’s more than 3 times less than the 35 percent obesity rate for the whole nation, reports NBC.
Unfortunately for AAPIs the low obesity rate doesn’t necessarily translate into better health.
“It looks as if we don’t have a problem. But it’s a huge problem,” says Dr. Karen Kim, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. For Asians, you do not have to be overweight to get the complications for obesity.”
A body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. But Asian Americans are considered at risk of diabetes with a BMI of just 24. Carviovascular disease for Asian Americans can start with a BMI of just 19 or 20.
“It’s true that you really don’t see Asians that are morbidly obese, but you don’t have to be morbidly obese to have some of these complications,” Kim says.
You can read more about why BMI is a poor indicator for Asian Americans on NBC.