THE ETHNICITY ENIGMA: UNRAVELLING THE DIETARY, METABOLIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Existing evidence indicates that even within the Asian population, there are ethnic differences in susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We aimed to examine the dietary habits of individuals with T2DM in Singapore, understand pancreatic beta-cell function through measuring glucose homeostasis and insulin kinetics amongst the ethnic groups, and seek to derive physiological explanations for ethnic variability in glycemic and insulin responses through measuring factors that are involved in food digestion.