Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship between lipid accumulation product (LAP) and the risk of diabetes in adults, and to compare the predictive value of various obesity indicators in diabetes. Methods A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select 3 115 permanent residents aged 18 or above in Longzihu district of Bengbu city from July to August 2015, and questionnaire survey, physical examination and biochemical examination were conducted. (Kruskal-Wallis H) and unconditional logistics regression were used to investigate the relationship between LAP and various physical examination indices and the risk of diabetes. Receiver operating characteristics curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of various obesity indicators in diabetes. The best cut-off point of LAP in prediction of diabetes was determined by the maximum Youden index. Results There were significant differences in physical examination indices between different LAP groups (all P<0.001). Compared with the lowest tertile group, the OR (95% CI) for diabetes in the group with highest tertile LAP was 2.00 (1.38,2.89) in men, and 3.82 (2.46,5.93) in women, respectively. Receiver operating characteristics curve found that in men the area under curve (AUC) of LAP predicting the risk of diabetes was higher than other obesity indicators, but only had statistical significance compared with WHR(P<0.05). In women, the AUC of LAP predicting the risk of diabetes was significantly higher than other indicators (all P<0.05). The best cut-off point for LAP in predicting diabetes was 51.63 cm·mmol/L for men and 37.24 cm·mmol/L for women. Conclusion The elevated level of LAP is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Compared with the traditional indicators, especially for women, LAP is a better obesity indicator reflecting the impact of obesity on diabetes.