Man’s waist size predicts diabetes risk
Men who have larger waists or higher overall body fat had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
24/03/05 The circumference of a man’s waist is a better predictor of his risk of developing type 2 diabetes than his body mass index (BMI), which is a weight-to-height ratio, or waist-to-hip ratio alone.
This finding, published in the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is based on data collected from 27,270 men tracked over 13 years who participated in the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Men who had larger waists (assessed using waist circumference and waist-hip ratio) or higher overall body fat (indicated by BMI) had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study authors urge that more research on this topic be conducted with cohorts that include women and different ethnic and racial groups, since the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study only followed a cohort of largely white, professional men who are likely to be healthier than the average American.
