Abstract： Objective To determine the relationship between normal weight obesity (NOW) and cardiovascular risk factors.Methods A total of 940 adults who received a health examination in out hospital were recruited in a cross-sectional study,and 407 with a body mass index (BMI) of18.5 to 25 kg/m2 were enrolled for further analysis.Body fat percentage ( BF％ ) was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA),and the subjects were assigned to the NOW group ( BF％ ≥25％ for male or BF％ ≥35％for female) or the control group ( BF％ ＜ 25％ for male or BF％ ＜ 35％ for female).Cardiovascular risk factors and their detection rates were compared between the two groups by using independent sample t test and x2 test.The correlation between NOW and cardiovascular risk factors was assessed by logistic regression.Results The prevalence of NOW in men and women were13.1％ and14.9％,respectively.The prevalence of NOW was increased with age ( x2 =6.90,P ＜0.05 ).Systolic blood pressure (SBP),diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ),total cholesterol ( TC ),triglycerides ( TG ),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) and serum uric acid (SUA) were significantly increased in the NOW group (t values were 2.97,2.44,2.54,5.09,2.71and 3.91,respectively; all P ＜ 0.05 ) ; whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C) was significantly decreased in the NOW group (t =-3.90,P ＜ 0.05 ).The prevalence of hypertension,hyperglycemia,high triglyceride,low HDL-C,dyslipidmia and hyperuricemia was increased in the NOW group in comparison with the control group ( x2 values were 6.76,5.58,14.50,11.97,10.97 and 8.76,respectively; all P＜ 0.05 ).Logistic regression showed NOW increased the risk of hypertension,hyperglycemia,dyslipidmia or hyperuricemia by 2.186,2.120,2.088 or 4.175 times.After adjustment for age and gender,the risk for hyperuricemia was decreased to 3.491,but remained statistically significant higher.Conclusions NOW may be correlated with cardiovascular risk factors,and those with NOW could be at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases.