"These findings will give policy makers a better understanding of the health problems facing ethnic minority groups. They suggest that preventing UK South Asian children becoming overweight is an important priority," said Claire Nightingale of the St George's Division of Population Health Sciences and Education, who led the research. "They also suggest that BMI can be misleading when comparing body fat patterns in children from different ethnic groups - better measures are needed for making such comparisons."

Increased rates of overweight and obesity in children have been a major public health concern during the last two decades. However, few studies have provided accurate estimates of overall body fat patterns in UK children from different ethnic groups. Those studies which have been carried out used body mass index.

Body fat is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Increased levels of body fat among UK South Asian children is a particular concern because risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are high in that population. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly affecting younger people.

The results are from the Child Heart And Health Study in England (CHASE), which has been studying the health of British children aged nine and 10 years.

ije.oxfordjournals/content/early/2010/11/01/ije.dyq180.abstract