Relationship between spicy flavor, spicy food intake frequency, and general obesity in a rural adult Chinese population: The RuralDiab study.

•The participants were from Chinese rural population: the Rural Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (RuralDiab) Study.•Preference for Mild, Middle, and Heavy spicy flavor was positively associated with general obesity.•Participants who consumed spicy food 6 or 7 days a week were positively associated with general obesity.•Increased consumption of spicy flavor and frequency of spicy food intake were independently associated with general obesity.•The meta-analysis found that participants who consumed spicy food had a higher value of body mass index.