A standard oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 86 healthy premenopausal obese Arab women (BMI greater than or equal to 30) Glucose, insulin and glucagon were measured at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), plasma lipids and uric acid were also estimated. Waist-hip circumference ratio (WHR) had significant positive correlation with age, triglycerides (TG), uric acid, fasting and 120 min glucose, and 120 min insulin and significant negative correlation with SHBG. Body mass index (BMI) had significant correlation with uric acid, fasting and 120 min insulin, and significant negative correlation with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL Chol). When separated in two subgroups, with WHR greater than 0.80 (41), and less than or equal to 0.80 (45 cases), plasma glucose was in the diabetic range in seven; and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in 11 women in the former subgroup. Only three with IGT but no diabetics, were in lower WHR subgroup. WHR in diabetics (0.93), and in IGT cases (0.90) was significantly higher than in other women (0.80). Fasting insulin was not different, but at 90 and 120 min, insulin was higher in the high WHR subgroup who had also higher fasting, 90 and 120 min glucose. Glucagon level, though slightly higher in the higher (WHR) subgroup, may indicate relative hyperglucagonaemia because of the associated significantly higher glucose. Compared with age matched non-obese controls, obese women in both subgroups had significantly higher insulin, uric acid and significantly lower HDL Chol and lower glucagon (insignificant). Obese women in the higher WHR subgroup (greater than 0.80) had also significantly higher systolic blood pressure, TG and lower SHBG.