Introduction The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in several countries has been described as a global pandemic.Obesity and obesity-related diseases are increasing dramatically and have become a massive burden on world economy and global health.In 2010,overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3.4 million deaths,with 4％ of years of life lost and 4％ of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide [1].Abdominal obesity,also known as central obesity,refers to the presence of excess fat in the abdominal area.Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that obesity,especially central obesity,is associated with many metabolic disorders,such as impaired glucose tolerance,hypertension,dyslipidemia,and proinflammatory status.This editorial mainly discusses the prevalence of obesity,associated changes over the past decade,the criteria of central obesity,and its implications on cardiovascular disease (CVD).