The term "metabolically obese but normal weight subjects" has been used to describe adults who have normal body weight but display one or more symptoms of obesity related to morbidity.To determine the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents with and without obesity.Cross-sectional study that compares 55 obese and 110 non-obese apparently healthy children and adolescents from 10 to 15 years old. Age and sex were matched criteria. Anthropometric variables and laboratory measurements were collected.The cardiovascular risk factors identified were: high blood pressure (4.5 and 6.7%) impaired fasting glucose (6.4 and 14.5%), hypertriglyceridemia (7.3 and 29.1%), and low HDL-cholesterol levels (8.2 and 30.9%) for the children and adolescents without and with obesity, respectively. Metabolic syndrome was identified only in the obesity group (14.5%).A high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was identified among children and adolescents, even in those who do not have obesity, which suggests that metabolically obese but normal weight individuals can be identified at an early age.