OBJECTIVE - To investigate the association between neck circumference and central obesity, overweight, and metabolic syndrome in Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A total of 3,182 diabetic subjects (aged 20-80 years) were recruited from 15 community health centers in Beijing using a multistage random sampling approach. RESULTS - Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve for neck circumference and central obesity was 0.77 for men and 0.75 for women (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a neck circumference of >= 38 cm for men and >= 35 cm for women was the best cutoff point for determining overweight subjects. A neck circumference of >= 39 cm for men and >= 35 cm for women was the best cutoff point to determine subjects with metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS - In the present study, neck circumference is positively related with BMI, waist circumference, and metabolic syndrome in Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes.