Objective: A number of candidate genes have been in implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity in humans. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha $(TNF-{alpha})$ is expressed primarily in adipocytes, and elevated levels of this cytokine have been linked to obesity and insulin resistance. Recently, the A allele of a polymorphism at position 308 in the promoter region of $TNF-{alpha}$ (G-308A) has been shown to increase transcription of the gene in adipocytes. Therefore, we designed this study to test whether obese and non-obese subjects differ in $TNF-{alpha}$ genotype distribution, and how the genotypes affect anthropometric parameters, including degrees of body mass index (BMI). Methods : The study included 153 obese but otherwise healthy women ($BMI{geq}kg/m^2$, range 25-54.7, age range 15-40 years) and 82 non-obese healthy women ($BMI