OBJECTIVE: To compare some anthropometric indexes of obesity and identify among them which one best discriminates the high coronary risk (HCR). METHODS: A cross-section study, with sample consisting of 968 adults, between 30 and 74 years old, being 391 (40.4%) men. Many Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained and compared to areas under them among the conicity index (C index), body mass index (BMI), waist-hip circumference ratio (WHCR), waist circumference (WC) and HCR. The sensitivity and specificity to identify and compare the best cut-off point among the many indexes of obesity to discriminate the HCR were also identified. A confidence interval of 95% was used. RESULTS: The largest area under ROC curve was found between the C index and the HCR, in individuals of male sex, 0.80 (0.74-0.85), significantly differing from the other indexes of obesity. In women, the largest area found under the ROC curve was 0.76 (0.71-0.81), being equal between C, WHCR and HCR indexes. CONCLUSION: Those results show that C and WHCR indexes are the best indexes of obesity to discriminate HCR. WC has intermediate discriminatory power and the BMI was the least suitable anthropometric index of obesity to discriminate HCR. Those data suggest that the indexes of abdominal obesity are better to discriminate HCR than the indexes of general obesity.