# Why do obesity rates vary among various races **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706 "2013-10-31T01:50:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Arete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Arete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arete)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/21 "2013-10-31T16:10:35Z")
If ethnicity can affect what sort of diseases you are most susceptible and resistant to, I see no reason why the same cannot apply to weight gain. The frequency of lactose tolerance and intolerance is a classic example of how different populations are affected by a history of different diets and environments. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/22 "2013-10-31T18:40:34Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > … Not cited but available upon request are serious questions about whether the same BMI cut-offs should be used for Asians, for example, given the fact that adiposity, and in particular central adiposity is greater at the same BMI levels and that the metabolic consequences are more common at the same levels of adiposity. I have a few moments so [here](http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v27/n11/full/0802412a.html) is one sample of that discussion. > [@](#): > > Simply put, Asian ethnic groups have higher body fat at a ‘normal’ range of BMI, and excess body fat raises cardiovascular morbidities at the ‘nonobese’ BMI range, and increases all-cause mortality. Importantly, the data are consistently uniform regardless of the country of residence, socioeconomic strata, and physical activity profile of any given ethnic group. For example, excess body fat and morbidities at ‘non obese’ BMI range have been demonstrated for Asian Indians in several countries and belonging to diverse socioeconomic strata,5,8,15,16,17 and similar data exist for the Chinese populations. … it is not only the BMI that needs revision for the Asian populations; there are some data to suggest that the limits of waist circumference should also be revised. A large study in the Chinese population (n=111, 411) suggested lower limits for the waist circumference, 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women, according to the cardiovascular morbidity profile.10 Our recent data showed significantly high odds ratios for hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension among ‘non obese’ males who had waist circumference within the ‘normal’ range.8 Lower cutoffs for waist circumference to define abdominal obesity than those recommended universally have been proposed in another study in the Chinese population,3 and for the Korean population4 based on the morbidity data. … It is speculated that Asian Indians have lower waist circumference as compared to Caucasians due to lower muscle mass and smaller skeletal frame,19,20 despite having higher subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat.15,16 [Another bit](http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/115/16/2111.full). > [@](#): > > For a given BMI, elevated levels of glucose- and lipid-related factors were more likely to be present in South Asians, Chinese, and Aboriginals compared with Europeans, and elevated levels of the blood pressure–related factor were more likely to be present among Chinese compared with Europeans. The cut point to define obesity, as defined by distribution of glucose and lipid factors, is lower by ≈6 kg/m2 among non-European groups compared with Europeans. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/23 "2013-10-31T20:47:00Z")
To multipost while waiting for Trick or Treaters this wet wet day … is [this](http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/11/2211.long): > [@](#): > > One possible contributor to racial/ethnic disparities in the metabolic comorbidities of obesity may be related to different patterns of fat distribution. African American adults and children have less visceral and hepatic fat than white and Hispanic individuals (32). Another possibility is that there are fundamental metabolic differences by race or ethnicity. Racial and ethnic differences in resting metabolic rate have been found (33) but may partly be due to differences in fat-free mass or organ mass and have not been shown to account for weight gain over time within populations (34). Some differences in insulin secretion and response among racial/ethnic groups have been found. African American and Hispanic children have lower insulin sensitivity than white children. African Americans have higher circulating insulin levels than whites, due to not only a more robust β-cell response to glucose but also decreased clearance of insulin in the liver. Hispanics also have lower insulin sensitivity than whites, after controlling for BMI and body composition, and have higher insulin levels in compensation for their relative insulin resistance (35). > > There are differences in lipids and lipoproteins related to race/ethnicity (36). African Americans have lower rates of basal lipolysis than whites (37). This could be a metabolic risk factor for both the development of obesity and the risk of obesity-related comorbidities. African Americans also have lower levels of adiponectin than white subjects during childhood and adolescence, which may help explain their increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease despite having less visceral adiposity (38). Culture and lifestyle are critical but not the complete story. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/24 "2013-11-01T21:53:24Z")
Black people like to be fat. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/25 "2013-11-01T22:17:20Z")
> [@James\_Toothpaste](#): > > Black people like to be fat. You’re new here but you should really know better. Warning issued, please avoid such pointless comments in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/26 "2013-11-03T03:01:46Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Really, when you say, “Don’t say lifestyle”, you’re saying, “Don’t give me the answer.” So asian men with their 10% obesity rates and black women with their 40%+ obesity rates are seeing the difference due to lifestyle? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/27 "2013-11-03T03:53:21Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So asian men with their 10% obesity rates and black women with their 40%+ obesity rates are seeing the difference due to lifestyle? For the most part, yes. There are some physiological differences among ethnic groups, but what is considered the “black race” is the most diverse group of people on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/28 "2013-11-03T23:25:30Z")
Beyond the huge issue of lifestyle, and the factors already mentioned, I’ve seen a study that linked increased apetite and BMI to uncertainty in ones life situation. The more precarious things are, the more fat deposits people seemed urged to put on. Also, the trip across the atlantic has been mentioned as a strongly selective event for African-Americans. A lean, low fat body shape, or low metabolic digestion for some nutrients lowered the odds of survivng the trip significantly. That should be fairly dilluted by now though. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/29 "2013-11-04T00:47:49Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So asian men with their 10% obesity rates and black women with their 40%+ obesity rates are seeing the difference due to lifestyle? Do you see a lot of overlap in the way Asian men and black women live their lives? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/30 "2013-11-04T01:07:14Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Do you see a lot of overlap in the way Asian men and black women live their lives? To add to what your saying, how can the OP be serious when his first sentence is “Please don’t say lifestyle.” Does anyone think that “genetics” is the reason that Italian-Americans have higher obesity rates than Italian-Italians? For that matter, I don’t mean to touch on a potential sore spot, but while hypertension and diabetes are huge issues for African-Americans, I don’t think they are for most West Africans. What do people think is more likely for this? The “genetic differences” between African-Americans and the people of Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria or the fact that they have hugely different cultures, diets, lifestyles and life experiences? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706/31 "2013-11-04T02:51:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I suspect most people, especially poor people, consume most of their calories at home. And the cheapest food you can buy is often the worst for you in terms of maintaining a healthy weight. That, and lack of education about what actually is good for you and I suspect the added factor of poorer people having less time to prepare healthy food. > > That is not to say that poor people can’t lead healthy lifestyles. It’s just that there are a lot of factors piling up to make it more difficult for them to do so. Most of the “poor people” I know personally (I see about 20-25 families a week) don’t cook at home much. It’s almost all take-out, except breakfast, which must include some sort of pork product so help us Og. There’s a couple of generations now who don’t \*know \*how to cook. And if they know how, they don’t want to, because, like everyone else, they like the taste of the high fat, high salt, high sugar stuff they grew up with. Even in the higher priced restaurants on Chicago’s South Side, you’re going to be hard pressed to find healthy food. I got some (amazingly delicious) green beans yesterday from a Soul Food place. $6.50 for a quart, to go, and totally worth it. But more than 1/4 of the container was full of pork skin. Delicious, smokey fatty pork skin. Best green beans ever, but only a vegetable on a technicality. It was the only “vegetable” dish they had, having run out of greens some hours earlier. There were lots of pork skin and fat bits floating in the greens container, but no greens left. What did they have? Smothered chicken, fried chicken, smothered pork chops, barbequed short ribs, macaroni and cheese, some sort of rice and noodle dish I don’t know the name of and some very yummy, very sweet baked beans. So…that or Al’s Beef or Subway or Checkers drive through or JJ’s Fish and Chicken. Those are your options for dinner. I mean…\*Subway \*is the healthiest choice in a 5 mile radius, by far. That’s pretty scary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706.md?page=1)