Racial differences in fat distribution
A study expected to appear in the January issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has come to the conclusion that blacks carry less fat around the organs (the particular unhealthy fat) than whites. The visceral fat that can be seen as abdominal fat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity related illnesses. The study showed that using BMI as a measurement tool might not be an accurate way of reflecting obesity related disease risk for all racial groups, as shown previously with Asians where a BMI over 23 indicates a raised risk for diabetes. Blacks still have a raised risk for obesity related diseases, which might be due to the increased prevalence of obesity among blacks. According to the study 45% black adults and 31% white adults where obese.

