Objective

To identify the main metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria in adolescents with obesity.

Methods

This is a descriptive and transversal study. The sample was constituted by 122 high school level adolescents selected by simple aleatory sampling. Weight, size, waist circumference, artery pressure, and a blood sample were taken.

Results

Obesity of degree I was prevalent (68%). The main criterion for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was the abdominal obesity, which was found in 98.4% of the sample. 25.4% of these participants also showed 3 or more metabolic syndrome related criteria. An association between the levels of glycaemia and obesity was also found (p<0.01).

Conclusions

The findings revealed a high metabolic syndrome prevalence among the participants. Having abdominal obesity is a clear sign of problems related to weight which, frequently, is present among young populations with obesity. The adolescence is an early stage when people can be educated to live a healthy life and prevent chronic-degenerative illnesses.