There is increasing evidence suggesting that the cut-off values for defining obesity used in the Western countries cannot be readily applied to Asians, who often have smaller body frames than Caucasians. We examined the BMI and body fat (BF) as measured by bioelectrical impedance in 5153 Hong Kong Chinese subjects. We aimed to assess the optimal BMI reflecting obesity as defined by abnormal BF in Hong Kong Chinese. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to assess the optimal BMI predicting BF at different levels. The mean age and SD of the 5153 subjects (3734 women and 1419 men) was 51´5 (SD 16´3) years (range: 18´0±89´5 years, median: 50´7 years). Age-adjusted partial correlation (r) between BMI and BF in women and men were 0´899 P , 0´001 and 0´818 P , 0´001 respectively. Using ROC analysis, the BMI corresponding to the conventional upper limit of normal BF was 22´5±23´1 kg/m 2 , and the BMI corresponding to the 90 percentiles of BF was 25´4±26´1 kg/m 2 . Despite similar body fat contents, the BMI cut-off value used to define obesity in Hong Kong Chinese should be lower as compared to Caucasians. We suggest a BMI of 23 kg/m 2 and 26 kg/m 2 as the cut-off values to define overweight and obesity respectively in Hong Kong Chinese.

We analyzed the obesity trends in Hong Kong using data from a health assessment program. We recruited 84 357 subjects (27 452 men and 56 905 women; age: mean ± s.d. 49.0 ± 14.7 years, range 20-98 years) in three phases: 5% (25.8, 29.3) and 26.6% (26.0, 27.3), respectively (P: NS). In summary, despite stable or declining BMI, age-standardized central obesity failed to decline in Hong Kong Chinese women and continued to increase in Chinese men over a 10-year period.

KO, GARY T. C., AND JOYCE S. F. TANG. Waist circumference and BMI cut-off based on 10-year cardiovascular risk: evidence for "central pre-obesity." Obesity. 2007;15:2832-2839. Objective: The objective was to assess the waist circumference (WC) cut-off point that best identifies a level of 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with optimal balance of sensitivity and specificity in Chinese subjects according to their predicted 10-year CVD risk. Research Methods and Procedures:A community-based cross-sectional observational study involving 14,919 Hong Kong Chinese subjects. The 10-year CVD risk based on various prediction models was calculated. The projected WC cut-off points were then determined. Results: There were 4837 (32.4%) men and 10,082 (67.6%) women (mean age Ϯ standard deviation, 47.3 Ϯ 13.5 years; age range, 18 to 93 years; median age, 45.0 years). The mean optimal WC or BMI predicting a 15% to 30% 10-year CVD risk were 83 to 88 cm and 25 kg/m 2 for men, and 76 cm and 23 kg/m 2 for women, respectively. With WC Ն90 cm in men and Ն80 cm in women, the likelihood ratio at various WC cut-off points to develop a Ն20% 10-year CVD risk is 1.5 to 2.0 in men and 3.0 in women. The likelihood ratio was 1.5 in men with WC at 84 cm and in women at 70 cm. Discussion: Our results agree with the present guidelines on the definition of general and central obesity in Asia-Pacific regions. We propose the creation of an intermediate state of high WC, the "central pre-obesity" for Chinese men with WC Ն84 to 90 cm (Ն33 to 36 inches) and women with WC Ն74 to 80 cm (Ն29 to 32 inches). People with central pre-obesity, similar to those with overweight (BMI Ն23 to 25 kg/m 2 ), already have an increased risk of co-morbidities.

RIX4414 was efficacious, immunogenic and safe in the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis for at least two years post-vaccination in Hong Kong children.

Residual subgingival cement seems to be strongly associated with peri-implant mucositis which is a risk factor for increased probing depths crestal bone loss and peri-implantitis. Zinc oxide eugenol cements should be preferred to resin cements especially in patients with a history of periodontitis.

Fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) leads to increased intake of ethanol in adolescent rats and humans. We asked whether these behavioral changes may be mediated in part by changes in responsiveness of the peripheral taste and oral trigeminal systems. We exposed the experimental rats to ethanol in utero by administering ethanol to dams through a liquid diet; we exposed the control rats to an isocaloric and isonutritive liquid diet. To assess taste responsiveness, we recorded responses of the chorda tympani (CT) and glossopharyngeal (GL) nerves to lingual stimulation with ethanol, quinine, sucrose, and NaCl. To assess trigeminal responsiveness, we measured changes in calcium levels of isolated trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons during stimulation with ethanol, capsaicin, mustard oil, and KCl. Compared with adolescent control rats, the adolescent experimental rats exhibited diminished CT nerve responses to ethanol, quinine, and sucrose and GL nerve responses to quinine and sucrose. The reductions in taste responsiveness persisted into adulthood for quinine but not for any of the other stimuli. Adolescent experimental rats also exhibited reduced TG neuron responses to ethanol, capsaicin, and mustard oil. The lack of change in responsiveness of the taste nerves to NaCl and the TG neurons to KCl indicates that FAE altered only a subset of the response pathways within each chemosensory system. We propose that FAE reprograms development of the peripheral taste and trigeminal systems in ways that reduce their responsiveness to ethanol and surrogates for its pleasant (i.e., sweet) and unpleasant (i.e., bitterness, oral burning) flavor attributes. Pregnant mothers are advised to avoid alcohol. This is because even small amounts of alcohol can alter fetal brain development and increase the risk of adolescent alcohol abuse. We asked how fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) produces the latter effect in adolescent rats by measuring responsiveness of taste nerves and trigeminal chemosensory neurons. We found that FAE substantially reduced taste and trigeminal responsiveness to ethanol and its flavor components.

The aversive flavor of ethanol limits intake by many consumers. We asked whether intermittent consumption of ethanol increases its oral acceptability, using rats as a model system. We focused on adolescent rats because they (like their human counterparts) have a higher risk for alcohol overconsumption than do adult rats following experience with the drug. We measured the impact of ethanol exposure on 1) the oral acceptability of ethanol and surrogates for its bitter (quinine) and sweet (sucrose) flavor components in brief-access lick tests and 2) responses of the glossopharyngeal (GL) taste nerve to oral stimulation with the same chemical stimuli. During the exposure period, the experimental rats had access to chow, water and 10% ethanol every other day for 16 days; the control rats had access to chow and water over the same time period. The experimental rats consumed 7-14 g/day of 10% ethanol across the exposure period. This ethanol consumption significantly increased the oral acceptability of 3%, 6% and 10% ethanol, but had no impact on the oral acceptability of quinine, sucrose or NaCl. The ethanol exposure also diminished responses of the GL nerve to oral stimulation with ethanol, but not quinine, sucrose or NaCl. Taken together, these findings indicate that ethanol consumption increases the oral acceptability of ethanol in adolescent rats and that this increased oral acceptability is mediated, at least in part, by an exposure-induced reduction in responsiveness of the peripheral taste system to ethanol per se, rather than its bitter and sweet flavor components.