A new study has found Americans of Indian descent are more likely to get diabetes, even if their weight is normal.

Reuters reports that in a national study of 7,400 Asian-Americans, those of Indian descent were 3 times more likely to get the disease than other white Americans and more likely than individuals of other Asian ethnicities as well.

The results, appearing in the journal Diabetes Care, also suggest that 7 percent of Indian-Americans who are not overweight have diabetes, compared to between 2 and 4 percent of whites and other Asian-Americans.

Among obese diabetics the findings were similar. About one third of overweight Indian adults had the disease, compared to anywhere between 12 and 17 percent of other ethnicities.

Researchers say the reasons for the findings are not clear, although they suggest ethnic differences in body fat distribution may be to blame.

Staying at a healthy weight is a natural health resource to help avoid diabetes regardless of racial background.

According to the Mayo Clinic, containing chromium and cinnamon have been shown to help diabetics control their blood sugar levels.