Overweight/Obesity and Physical Fitness Among Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Background:Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents. However, its association with body mass index status is inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the association between overweight/obesity and physical fitness among children and adolescents.Methods:The design consisted of a cross-sectional study comprising 519 Brazilian students age 7 to 15 years. BMI status was assessed according to sex- and age-specific growth charts. Physical fitness was assessed using 8 tests: sit-and-reach, stationary long jump, 1-minute curl-up, modified pull-up, medicine-ball throw, 9-minute run, 20-m run, and 4-m shuttle-run.Results:Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24% and 12%, respectively. Boys performed better than girls in all tests, except flexibility. Normal weight students performed better than overweight and obese students in all tests, except the sit-and-reach and the medicine-ball throw. Cardiorespiratory fitness had the strongest association with BMI status. The prevalence of obese subjects classified as “most fit” was less than 10%.Conclusions:Higher values of body mass index were associated with declines in physical fitness, independent of age. The majority of obese children and adolescents and almost a half of those overweight were classified in the third tertile of physical fitness (least fit).

Excesso de adiposidade corporal em adolescentes: associação com fatores sociodemográficos e aptidão física

“…O melhor desempenho no teste de resistência abdominal e aptidão aeróbia, os maiores valores de massa corporal e estatura, e os menores indicadores de gordura corporal, do sexo masculino em comparação ao feminino, estão em conformidade com outros estudos (MOLINER-URDIALES et al, 2011;DUMITH et al, 2010;DELAGRANNA et al, 2010). Para a flexibilidade, os resultados semelhantes entre os sexos convergem (DELAGRANNA et al, 2010) e divergem (DUMITH et al, 2010).…”

“…Para a flexibilidade, os resultados semelhantes entre os sexos convergem (DELAGRANNA et al, 2010) e divergem (DUMITH et al, 2010). Essas diferenças para o desempenho físico e variáveis antropométricas são provenientes, em grande parte, dos fatores hormonais, os quais durante a adolescência exercem maior influência no aumento de força e massa muscular nos rapazes em comparação as moças, as quais tendem a acumular maior volume de gordura subcutânea (MALINA, 1991).…”

“…Dos vários componentes da aptidão física, tem-se a aptidão aeróbia, a qual apresenta relação inversa com os indicadores de adiposidade corporal (DUMITH et al, 2010;MOLINER-URDIALES et al, 2011;SILVA et al 2011). Apesar disso, a relação entre adiposidade corporal e os demais componentes da aptidão física ainda é pouco explorada.…”

Relationship between Obesity and Physical Fitness in School-Going Children of Anand District

“…Also, while determining obesity, cooperation of children is necessary for measurements. Majority of the results have reported obesity being assessed by BMI, waist circumference, waist height ratio and skin-fold thickness measures (Malina, 2001;Deurenberg, 1990;Ganley et al, 2011;Ostojic, 2011).The development of cardio-respiratory diseases is laid upon the foundation of reduced physical fitness which is found to be associated with body composition measures (Dumith et al, 2010;Milanese, 2010). Physical fitness is the capacity to perform daily tasks without experiencing fatigue.…”

“…Over the last few years, it has been observed in many researches about the decline in the physical fitness and at the same end childhood obesity has been reaching newer epics globally. Obesity and physical fitness both are components of health which can track from childhood to adulthood and even in the elderly years (Dumith et al, 2010;Aires, 2009). Last few years have witnessed an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity with many studies done in different regions of India.…”