Obesity is often associated with poor heat tolerance. This case-control study was to determine the effect of obesity measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI) on the occurrence of heat disorders. The subjects, 218 soldiers with heat disorders and 537 controls, were matched for age and sex. Obesity was defined as a BMI of greater than 27. The odds ratio for obese soldiers was 3.53; however, their rectal temperatures were not significantly higher at presentation for heat disorder. The Physical Employment Standard (PES) classifies soldiers into A, B, C, and E depending on medical history at the time of enlistment. Soldiers with PES status of A and B were at a marginally higher risk of heat disorders. Correcting for the effect of the PES status, the odds ratio for obese soldiers was 4.29. Therefore, obese soldiers training in a hot and humid environment are at an increased risk of heat disorders.

Multiple regression analysis by the stepwise method was used to evaluate the combined effect of the independent variables on the frequency of leisure-time physical activity.Results Table 1 shows the sociodemographic characteristics of our respondents. Our sample differed from the general elderly population in Singapore in having fewer persons older than 75 years (20.9% vs 26.2%); however, there were no sex differences.About half (42.1%) ofthe elderly respondents participated in regular leisure-time physical activity, with significantly higher percentages of men than women (

Patients taking many medications should be monitored for constipation and given advice to avoid constipating factors. Further studies are needed to establish the causal-effect relationship of rice and Chinese tea with constipation.