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Toronto Star
19-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
Trying to lose weight? Ethnicity might matter — and the differences point to a larger issue, study says
Considering joining a weight-loss program? Your ethnicity may have more of an effect on your success than you'd think. A new study from York University researchers suggests Black, Latin, Middle Eastern or South Asian people may lose significantly less weight in clinical programs compared to White, East Asian and other ethnicities. 'We know that in terms of obesity rates, there's large differences between ethnic groups,' said Jennifer Kuk, the lead author and a professor at York University. 'So we thought it's important to look at whether or not there are differences in the weight loss achieved as well.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Life Counting calories and cutting out fats? Why these common diet mistakes can do more harm than good The internet is rife with potentially dangerous misinformation around dieting, experts say. Here are some to look out for. Life Counting calories and cutting out fats? Why these common diet mistakes can do more harm than good The internet is rife with potentially dangerous misinformation around dieting, experts say. Here are some to look out for. Her team's results imply the ethnicities at greatest risk for obesity also stand to benefit the least from traditional weight loss programs, Kuk told the Star. She believes the reason lies in socioeconomic and cultural differences, from lack of access to private health insurance to generational trauma. 'I think it's a very important study,' said Robert Ross, a professor of exercise physiology at Queen's University who is unaffiliated with the research. 'It recognizes that referral and access to treatment programs varies across ethnicity.' The paper was published this week in peer-reviewed journal Clinical Obesity. Here's what you need to know. Ethnic differences in weight loss The retrospective study reviewed the weight loss journeys of 14,695 people enrolled in clinical weight management programs across southern Ontario. Each participant was asked to self-identify their ethnicity into the following broad groups: white/Caucasian, South Asian, East Asian, African Heritage/Black, Indigenous or a free-form field that would be categorized as Latin, Middle Eastern, Mixed or Other. Among all the ethnic groups, white people experienced the most weight loss, losing an average 4.9 kilograms. East Asian ethnicities lost an average 4.3 kilos, while 'other' ethnic groups lost 4.4 kilograms on average. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In comparison, Indigenous people lost an average 3.9 kg, South Asians lost an average 3.5 kg, Black individuals lost 3.3 kg on average, Latin ethnicities lost an average 3.0 kg and Middle Eastern people lost 2.7 kg on average. Life Are most diets doomed to fail? Here's what experts say actually works for weight loss Despite the hype around so-called 'yo-yo diets,' experts tell the Star only the rare exception will see long-term results. Life Are most diets doomed to fail? Here's what experts say actually works for weight loss Despite the hype around so-called 'yo-yo diets,' experts tell the Star only the rare exception will see long-term results. When Black people were further asked to identify as African American, African Black or West Indie Black, it was found African Americans lost the least amount of weight out of all the groups — averaging 1.2 kg of weight loss. Prior studies show Black individuals also tend to have the highest obesity rates in Canada. Ross was surprised to find about a third of all ethnicities discontinued the weight loss program after just one visit. Indigenous people are most likely to discontinue, with 41.9 per cent stopping the program: 'I think that underscores some of the challenges we have in addressing obesity,' he said. Why is this happening? The study didn't delve into why these differences exist — it merely tracked how much weight people of each ethnicity lost. But previous research offers some clues. Kuk noted that systemic racism, which can lead to unequal job opportunities, educational disparities and wealth inequality for certain ethnicities, can also result in food insecurity and hamper the ability for people to eat a healthy diet. Similarly, different ethnicities have significant disparities in access to health care. Indigenous, Black, South Asian and Latin individuals are less likely to have access to a regular health provider compared to the general Canadian population, for example — meaning less access to clinical weight and obesity management. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Kuk added that generational trauma could modify one's genes in a way that predisposes their children to obesity, even if these children never experienced that trauma themselves. Health Canadian preschoolers get nearly half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, study finds. What should parents do? The U of T study found that nearly one in five of the more than 2,000 children they followed over a five-year-long study was overweight by age five. Health Canadian preschoolers get nearly half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, study finds. What should parents do? The U of T study found that nearly one in five of the more than 2,000 children they followed over a five-year-long study was overweight by age five. 'Thus, factors such as racism, immigration, and lower wages may also contribute to (genetic changes) that may contribute to obesity or impair obesity management,' the study read. But Ross notes that, due to the nature of the study, we don't know exactly why this is happening. More research is needed to further understand this relationship. How does Ozempic factor in? The study was performed near the start of the advent of Ozempic, right when similar weight-loss drugs hit the mainstream. The paper noted there were no ethnic differences in the rate of Ozempic prescriptions. That said, it had no data on how many of these prescriptions were being filled, how long they were in use or how effective the drugs were. Kuk noted that Ozempic and other effective obesity medications present another barrier to care for certain ethnicities. These drugs are not often covered by health insurance, forcing patients to pay out of pocket — 'compounding the ethnic differences in terms of salary, private health insurance access and so on,' Kuk said. In Canada, data show Black and Latin individuals have among the lowest income of all other ethnicities. They also have some of the highest obesity rates: 'This is just making it even harder for the groups that potentially need obesity treatment the most,' Kuk said.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Differences in weight loss among ethnicities points to need to look at socio-economic issues, York University study suggests
Lack of coverage for obesity medications is systemic discrimination, prof says Toronto, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new study led by York University looking at the health data of nearly 15,000 people enrolled in a medically supervised weight-loss program found disparities among ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in how much weight they lost. Lead author, York University Faculty of Health Professor Jennifer Kuk, says the results show that the very broad ethnic categories typically examined in clinical settings may mask differences in sub-ethnic groups. Further, she says the findings suggest the need for understanding how socio-economic issues may come into play to better support Black, Middle Eastern, Latin and South Asian communities with their weight-loss. The study found that the white ethnic group had the greatest weight loss, with Black, South Asian, Latin, and Middle Eastern adults having significantly less weight loss. Indigenous, East Asian, and other ethnic groups did not differ in the amount of weight loss compared to the white group. 'We found that the ethnicities that lost the least amount of weight are also the ethnicities that tend to have the highest risk for obesity. So those that have the greatest need are seeing the least effectiveness from the treatment they're getting, which is something that we need to unpack and figure out why that's happening,' says Kuk. For the study, published in the journal Clinical Obesity, Kuk worked with longtime research collaborator Dr. Sean Wharton and examined data for patients enrolled in weight management programs through Wharton Medical Clinics across Southern Ontario. York School of Kinesiology and Health Science PhD student Parmis Mirzadeh also contributed to the study. They found there were also differences when looking at sub-ethnic categories. For example, while Black patients overall lost less weight than other racial groups in the program, there were significant differences in weight loss for African Americans and Blacks of direct African descent. Despite losing less weight, Black and other non-white patients were also more likely than white patients to be prescribed older obesity medications. While the study was completed before weight loss drug Wegovy was available on the market, Ozempic, a diabetes drug that is commonly used off-label for weight loss and is often covered by insurance plans, did not have differences in prescription rates. Kuk says one limitation of this study is that they did not know whether patients filled the prescriptions or how long they took the medications for. 'Obesity medications are rarely covered. And so when you compound that with the fact that ethnic minorities tend to make less money, are less likely to have private insurance, overall, it's adding another financial burden to a population that's already marginalized,' says Dr. Wharton. 'The fact that certain populations can't access newer, more expensive medications at the cost of their health is systemic discrimination,' adds Kuk. Obesity is a condition that has been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, some forms of cancer, joint pain, liver conditions, and can have impacts on the immune system, respiratory disease and cognitive function. In Canada, 30 per cent of the adult population is classified as having obesity, with some ethnic groups at a higher risk. 'Because of the stigma associated with obesity, it's always seen to be the fault of the individual, as opposed to a result of many complex structural issues that result in certain people being at higher risk, and then also perhaps results in those same people not being able to get the treatment that they need,' says Kuk. -30- York University is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. York's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. York's campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future. CONTACT: Emina Gamulin York University egamulin@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
