Both AHA/NHLBI and IDF recognize the need of a variable definition of elevated waist circumference among different populations. The IDF suggests for Europids a threshold for increased waist circumference of at least 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women; whereas the AHA/NHLBI defines for the US population the cutoff of at least 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women (Table 1). Two important studies show the rationale for using different cut-off points of waist circumference in people of Asian extraction. East Asian and South Asian populations may have significant differences in lipid indices, fat mass as a proportion of BMI and cardiovascular morbidity. More studies are necessary to clarify these differences before consensus on separate cutoffs for waist circumference will be established for these ethnic groups.