The prevalence of obesity is increasing all over the world in the last decades. This is a concerning fact since the excess of body fat, especially abdominal fat, is directly related to the lipidic profile that is altered, to the increase of arterial pressure and hyperinsulinemia. All of these are considered risk factors to the onset of chronic-degenerative diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. High levels of leptin and the alterations of fibrinolytic factors have also been observed in obese individuals. These modifications are described as "metabolic syndrome" or "insulin resistance syndrome", since hyperinsulinemia has an important role in the development of other components of the metabolic syndrome. However, the question is if these alterations are already present in these children and adolescents. This paper describes the physiopathology of the metabolic syndrome components and aims at clarifying how this process takes place in youth.
obesity; child; adolescent; insulin resistence; hyperlipidemia; hypertension; metabolic syndrome