Obesity contributes to between 30 percent and 53 percent of new diabetes cases in the U.S. each year, according to research published Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Scientists used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and four pooled cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to conduct the research. The data was collected between 2000 and 2017, and includes participants ages 45-79. Further, researchers limited participants to adults who were white, Black or Mexican American and who did not have either Type 1 or Type 2 of diabetes at the start of the study period.
Key findings:
1. The combined data from both groups showed obesity contributed to 30 percent to 53 percent of new Type 2 diabetes cases. Those with obesity were more likely to have low annual income. While non-Hispanic white women had the lowest rates of obesity, they accounted for the highest proportion of obesity-related Type 2 diabetes.
2. When looking only at MESA participants, 11.6 percent developed Type 2 diabetes after nine years. Of this group, those with obesity were nearly three times more likely to develop diabetes than those who were not obese.
3. The overall prevalence of obesity increased from 34 percent to 41 percent among NHANES participants, and was higher in adults with Type 2 diabetes.
The results may be not generalizable to the entire U.S. population given the participation limits, the study authors said.
To view the full study, click here.