White Paper on Diabetes Screening in the Chinese American Community Calls for Screening Asian Adults at a BMI of 23
A white paper focused on diabetes screening and prevention in the Chinese American community has been released, urging Asian residents not to wait until their body mass index passes 25 before taking screening seriously. The work centers on Flushing, Queens, in New York City, New York. The paper compiles evidence from New York's Chinese community and a survey of 315 residents, noting that in 2022, 13 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander adults in New York City had diabetes, compared with 7 percent of white adults — nearly double.
In two Flushing surveys, 84.5 percent and 94.9 percent of respondents did not know that Asian adults can face diabetes risk at a lower BMI. In the July Flushing sample, 63.3 percent did not know or were unsure that early diabetes may have no symptoms, and 51.4 percent of Brooklyn respondents most wanted healthy-eating guidance tailored to a Chinese diet. The white paper recommends that Asian adults begin screening once their BMI reaches 23.
On the policy side, a New York State bill requiring insurers to cover diabetes and prediabetes screening based on national evidence-based clinical guidelines, with no patient cost-sharing, passed the State Senate on February 24, 2026, by 55 votes to 1, and passed the Assembly on May 12. As of October 5, the Senate's official status showed the bill passed by both houses, with no record yet of delivery to, or signature by, the governor.
Source: NTD Health
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约法拉盛华人社区街景标识。（Payton Chung 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons） / Photo: Chinese community signage in Flushing, New York. (by Payton Chung, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
