A comparative study of generalised obesity and anatomical distribution of subcutaneous fat in adult White and Pakistani migrant males in Peterborough

Abstract

Obesity can be defined in two main ways - generalised obesity (measured as Body Mass Index (BMI)) and anatomical distribution of adiposity. A comparative study of generalised obesity (body mass index) and the anatomical distribution of subcutaneous fat in adult White and Pakistani migrant males was carried out in Peterborough. No signifi cant difference in the prevalence of obesity as measured by the BMI was observed between Whites and Pakistani migrants. The mean BMI values were similar in both ethnic groups. However, Pakistanis had significantly more truncal fat com pared with Whites whereas the latter group had more upper extremity fat compared with the former. No significant difference was observed in the amount of fat deposited on the lower extremities between the two ethnic groups. The Pakista nis also had significantly more total (sum of all skinfolds) subcutaneous fat compared with Whites. These preliminary results clearly indicate that there is a tendency for accumulation of truncal adiposity in Asians of Pakistani origin compared with Whites irrespective of the level of generalised (BMI) obesity. The health implications of body fat patterning on non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are well known. It is possible that the pattern of fat distribution observed in migrant Pakistani males in this study exists in other migrant groups originating from the Indian subcontinent. This pronounced truncal distribu tion of body fat could be one of the risk factors predisposing migrant Asians in the UK to develop NIDDM and CHD irrespective of their BMI. Future epidemiological studies should lay more emphasis on morphological fat patterning rather than BMI in Asian migrants in the UK.