Despite Asian Americans typically having lower body weights and BMI, they are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than White people. Diabetes is a rapidly growing health challenge among Asians and Pacific Islanders who immigrated to the United States and affects about 20% of Asian Americans. 

Quick Facts:

• About 90-95% of Asian Americans who have diabetes, have type 2 diabetes
• 32% of Asian Americans have pre-diabetes and might not know it!
• Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common amongst Asian Americans because of genetic and environmental factors.
• Type 2 diabetes is more common in adult Asian Americans than white Americans. It is more common amongst Filipino and South Asian adults.
• Among Chinese adults who have a healthy BMI, the chances of developing prediabetes is similar to that of Filipino and South Asian adults, but the risk of developing diabetes is lower.
• For Chinese men, the risk ratio for prediabetes is 2.1, while for Chinese women, it is 2.9. However, the risk ratio for diabetes is 2.1 for Chinese men and 3.4 for Chinese women.

According to the Centers for Disease Prevention Control, more than 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t know they have it. But for Asian American people, that number is higher—around 1 in 3 people. Being overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, but most Asian Americans aren’t considered overweight and may not seem at risk. Researchers found people of Asian descent may have less muscle and more fat than other groups and can develop diabetes at a younger age and lower body weight that extra body fat tends to be in the belly (visceral fat). Unlike fat stored just under the skin (subcutaneous fat), visceral fat is out of sight, wrapped around organs deep in the body. Looking at them, you can’t tell how much visceral fat someone has.