In contrast to a study in seventy overweight/obese adolescent girls from Eastern Europe [41], it is worthy to note that even after adjusting for obesity and the components of MS at baseline, childhood RBP4 levels still predicted MS and its components in our study, suggesting an independent role for RBP4 in the development of MS. The gene discussed is RBP4; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.