Relationships between initial anthropometric variables and subsequent diastolic blood pressure (fourth phase) were examined in children identified as being in the upper quintile for diastolic blood pressure at Year 1. Of 156 white children, aged 10 to 14 years, with diastolic blood pressure levels in the upper age-race-sex-specific quintile at Year 1, 38% remained in the upper quintile at Year 4. However, there was a definite trend for leaner children, defined by ponderosity (weight/height3) to remain in the highest diastolic blood pressure quintile (p less than 0.001). Of white children originally identified in the highest quintile for diastolic blood pressure and the lowest quintile for ponderosity (lean group), 67% (18 of 27) remained in the upper quintile at Year 4. In contrast, only 21% (11 of 52) of white children identified as being in the highest quintile for both diastolic blood pressure and ponderosity (obese group) at Year 1 were in the upper diastolic blood pressure quintile at Year 4. Similar results were seen in children examined 5 years later. Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses confirmed the negative relationship between initial ponderosity and subsequent diastolic blood pressure, especially in older children. A similar relationship was noted in black children. Potential differences in the etiological process of obesity-related and non-obesity-related high blood pressure were examined. These observations indicate that characteristics other than obesity can contribute to high blood pressure in late childhood.