Differences in conicity in young adults of European and south Asian descent

A survey of 320 (175 male, 155 female) 19 year-old medical students showed that male students of South Asian origin in the top tertile for body weight or body mass index had a significantly greater conicity index than European males in these top tertiles. This difference in conicity was not significant in the group as a whole, or when ethnic pairs were matched for body weight or body mass index. However, females of South Asian descent had a significantly higher conicity index than females of European descent irrespective of how the groups were compared. The trend towards higher conicity (i.e. abdominal obesity) in young Asians may help explain the higher incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease seen in elderly Asians living in the United Kingdom.