Aim To investigate the effect of obesity on the arteriosclerosis development in children by comparing the risk factors for arteriosclerosis in obese children with those in non-obese children.Methods Fifty-one obese children and thirty-two non-obese children were evaluated for endothelium-dependent arterial dilation,intima-media thickness(IMT)of the common carotid artery,the maximum preperitioneal fat thickness(Pmax)and minimum subcutaneous fat thickness(Smin)by B ultra sonograthy;24 h average systolic blood pressure(SBP)and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)were detected;the serum levels of triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),blood glucose and free fatty acids(FFA),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDLC),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDLC)were deteced by chemistry;insulin(FIns),by RIA;adiponectin(AD),resistin by ELISA,and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein(hs-CRP),by scatter nephelomete method.Results The values of Hs-CRP,HOMA-IR,INS,Smin,Pmax,SBP,TG,LDLC,and FFA were higher in the obese children than in the non-obese children(p<0.05),while HDL-C and adiponectin in the obese children were lower than those in the non-obese children(p<0.05).However,no statistical difference was found between the levels of IMT,DBP,and Endothelium-dependent arterial dilation in the obese children and those in the non-obese children(p>0.05).The BMI was correlated with SBP(r=0.43,P=0.006),hs-CRP(r=0.461,P=0.018),HOMA-IR(r=0.463,P=0.007),FIns(r=0.404,P=0.013),FFA(r=0.358,P=0.018),while it was negatively correlated with AD(r=-0.356,P=0.031).However,there was no statistically different relationship between ITM and other biochemical indicators.Conclusions The levels of the risk factors for arteriosclerosis were much higher in obese children than those in non-obese children.The results showed that the chronic inflammation situation of arteriosclerosis has already existed in the obese children,but no morphological change in the endarterium was found.