Baseline Characteristics of Study Participants in the Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Study, 2004, Chinaa.

Abbreviation: FTO, fat mass- and obesity-associated gene.aData are expressed as frequency and differences between obese and non-obese groups were examined using the Chi-square test.bObesity was defined using the age- and sex-specific BMI cutoff points recommended by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF).cPuberty was defined as breast development of tanner stage II or later for girls and testicular volume of 4 ml or more for boys.dPhysical activity level was defined as ≥30 minutes per day with the following frequencies: high, ≥5 days/week; moderate, 3–4 days/week; and low,