In order to analyze the relationship between fasting insulin level and body mess index (BMI), blood pressure and lipids, and to discuss the effect of hypertensive family history, 317 healthy children aged 8-11 years including 74 overweighted and 243 non-overweighted were selected randomly from 4 primary schools in Beijing. Anthropometry, fasting insulin and lipids were measured, and the family history of hypertension (FHH) was recorded. After adjusting of age and sex, the levels of blood fasting insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly higher (P < 0.01) and the ratio of HDL/LDL and apoA/apoB were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the overweighted than that in non-overweighted children. After controlling BMI, the partial correlation coefficients between fasting insulin and TG, systolic pressure was 0.20 (P < 0.01) and 0.12 (P < 0.01) respectively. Moreover, among the overweighted children, but not among non-overweighted children, those with FHH had a significantly higher fasting insulin than those without FHH (P < 0.01). It is concluded that hypertensive family history may play an important role in contributing to the higher level of serum insulin of overweighted children, and higher serum insulin may concerted with some metabolic disorders in overweighted children.