Figure 1.

The relationship between body mass index and incidence of diabetes in four ethnic groups in Canada. In Ontario, Canada, approximately 60,000 nondiabetic men and women ages 30 and up were followed for up to 12.8 years for diabetes incidence. The median duration of follow-up was 6 years. The incidence of diabetes increased with increased body mass index (BMI) in each ethnic group, as expected. South Asians became diabetic at the lowest BMI values, followed by Chinese, blacks, and whites. The graph shows the incidence rate of diabetes per 1,000 person-years at each level of BMI (1).