Causes Of Asian People Are Easier To Get Diabetes Even If They Are Not Obesity

Check Sugar Level (Freepik/suriyawutsuriya)

JAKARTA - diabetes is one of the biggest health problems facing the world today, with increasing prevalence. Apparently, Asians are more susceptible to diabetes, even though they are not obese.

Reported by VOI from the CNA page on Thursday, November 14, 2024, Asians do have a greater risk of diabetes even though they are not obese. In Singapore, one in three people is at risk of developing diabetes for life. While almost one in ten adults have diabetes.

Salah besar orang Asia menganggap diabetes type 2 hanya terkait dengan lebih berat badan, seperti yang sering dibarkan di luar Asia. Namun, penelitian menunjukkan bahwa orang Asia cenderung lebih mudah terkena diabetes pada indeks mass tubuh (IMT) yang lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan kelompok lain.

This happens even though their IMT threshold is low in Asians, obesity is defined as obesity above or equal to 27.5 kg/m2. As for non-Asians, the limit is 30 kg/m2. Although IMT has long been used to estimate the risk of diabetes and other metabolic conditions, this figure does not always describe a complete picture.

One of the main reasons is that Asians tend to have different distributions of body fat compared to non-Asian people. A slim person may have more viseral fat, a type of fat stored around internal organs that is much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat, a type of fat that can be sandwiched.

Viseral fat increases insulin resistance. So, even if Asian people look to have healthy weight, they may still have enough viseral fats that interfere with normal glucose settings, thereby increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The medical community is increasingly switching from relying solely on IMT as a health measure. A more holistic approach includes other measurements such as waist circumference, body fat percentage, and viseral fat levels to gain a more thorough understanding of a person's metabolic health.

What Causes it?

In Singapore, only 71.1% of adults meet physical activity guidelines in 2021. Following these guidelines is very important to maintain healthy muscle mass and regulate blood sugar levels.

Even good-meaning habits, such as emphasizing academic success and sacrificing adequate physical activity in children, can create conditions that increase the risk of diabetes in the future.

Eating patterns are also the main factor that increases the risk of diabetes in Asians. Rice and other processed carbohydrates, such as bread and cakes, have been staple foods for generations.

In today's times, many people have less movable jobs and are not involved in strenuous physical activity outside of exercise, depending on foods with a high glycemic index (GI) that can be harmful.

These foods cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. When coupled with a genetic tendency to insulin resistance, it can damage the body's ability to manage insulin effectively.