Table 2 Prevalences of the metabolic syndrome and the frequencies of its criteria according to the different proposed definitions for childhood and adolescence in 1205 overweight Caucasian children and adolescents.

Cook et al13	(%)		De Ferranti et al15	(%)		Viner et al14	(%)		Weiss et al12	(%)
⩾3 of the 5 criteria below:		21	⩾3 of the 5 criteria below:		39	⩾3 of the 4 criteria below:		18	⩾3 of the 5 criteria below:		29
WC ⩾90th percentile		78	WC ⩾75th percentile for		80	BMI ⩾95th percentile for		89	BMI >97th percentile for		80
for age and gender			age and gender			age and gender			age and gender
BP ⩾90th percentile		32	BP ⩾90th percentile		32	Systolic BP ⩾95th percentile		22	BP ⩾95th percentile		22
Triglycerides ⩾110 mg/dl		43	Triglycerides ⩾100 mg/dl		52	1 of the 3 criteria below:		36	Triglycerides >110 mg/dl		43
HDL‐chol ⩽40 mg/dl		17	HDL‐chol		54	Triglycerides ⩾150 mg/dl		21	HDL‐chol <40 mg/dl		17
Impaired fasting glucose		1	⩽50 mg/dl (female) or			HDL‐chol <35 mg/dl		6	Impaired glucose tolerance*		14
			⩽45 mg/dl (male)			Total chol ⩾95th percentile		18
			Impaired fasting glucose		1	1 of the 3 criteria below:		27
						Impaired fasting glucose		1
						Impaired glucose tolerance*		14
						Fasting insulin:		26
						⩾15 mU/l prepubertal
						⩾30 mU/l pubertal
						⩾20 mU/l late/postpubertal

*Oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 194 children; disturbed glucose metabolism was defined in the other children by impaired fasting glucose or hyperinsulinaemia (⩾15 mU/l for prepubertal children, ⩾30 mU/l for pubertal children, ⩾20 mU/l for postpubertal children).

BP, blood pressure; chol, cholesterol; WC, waist circumference.