Physical fitness and physical activity in obese and nonobese Flemish youth. Improvements in fitness reduce the risk of becoming overweight across puberty. Two years of school-based intervention program could improve the physical fitness among Ecuadorian adolescents at health risk: subgroups analysis from a cluster-randomized trial Emotional Health Predicts Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI-z) Among Black and Latino Youth Examining the impact of 45 minutes of daily physical education on cognitive ability, fitness performance, and body composition of African American youth. A school-based intervention to reduce overweight and inactivity in children aged 6–12 years: study design of a randomized controlled trial Relationships between physical activity, physical fitness, muscle strength and nutritional state in 5- to 11-year-old children
OBJECTIVE To assess different aspects of physical fitness and physical activity in obese and nonobese Flemish youth . RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES A r and om sample of 3214 Flemish schoolchildren was selected and divided into an " obese " and " nonobese " group based on body mass index and sum of skinfolds . Physical fitness was assessed by the European physical fitness test battery . Physical activity  was estimated by a modified version of the Baecke Question naire . RESULTS Obese subjects had inferior performances on all tests requiring propulsion or lifting of the body mass ( st and ing-broad jump , sit-ups , bent-arm hang , speed shuttle run , and endurance shuttle run ) compared with their nonobese counterparts ( p < 0.001 ) . In contrast , the obese subjects showed greater strength on h and grip ( p < 0.001 ) . Both groups had similar levels of leisure-time physical activity ; however , nonobese boys had a higher sport index than their obese counterparts ( p < 0.05 ) . DISCUSSION Results of this study show that obese subjects had poorer performances on weight-bearing tasks , but did not have lower scores on all fitness components . To encourage adherence to physical activity in obese youth , it is important that activities are tailored to their capabilities . Results suggest that weight-bearing activities should be limited at the start of an intervention with obese participants and alternative activities that rely more on static strength used PURPOSE Information about factors related to overweight development in early stages of life is needed for design ing useful strategies to prevent overweight and related diseases . Longitudinal studies can contribute to this goal . The present study aim ed to identify factors in childhood that determine the development of overweight/obesity in adolescence . METHODS A prospect i ve study in 598 normal-weight Estonian and Swedish children age 9.5 ± 0.4 yr from the European Youth Heart Study , who were followed during 6 yr , was conducted . Weight and height were measured at baseline and follow-up , and weight status was ascertained according to the international criteria for body mass index . Cardiorespiratory fitness  ( expressed as  VO(2max ) ( mL·kg(-1)·min(-1 ) ) ) was assessed by a maximal bike test . Parents reported their weight , height , and educational level . RESULTS Being male ( vs female ) and Estonian ( vs Swedish ) was related to higher risk for incident overweight/obesity . Change in fitness was a stronger predictor of incident overweight/obesity than childhood fitness , parental overweight , or parental education . The risk of developing overweight/obesity was reduced 10 % every 1 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1 ) of VO(2max ) increase ( odds ratio = 0.90 and 95 % confidence interval = 0.84 - 0.95 ) after adjustment for a set of confounders including baseline body mass index and without differences by gender . CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that improvements in fitness from childhood to adolescence are associated with a lower risk of becoming overweight/obese in adolescence . The current findings highlight the importance of promoting fitness through physical exercise from early stages in life , as a promising strategy to fight against overweight and obesity . Gender and country differences observed in this study require social and political attention Background Adolescents with overweight and poor physical fitness have an increased likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases during adulthood . In Ecuador , a health promotion program improved the muscular strength and speed-agility , and reduced the decline of the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of adolescents after 28 months . We performed a sub-group analysis to assess the differential effect of this intervention in overweight and low-fit adolescents . Methods We performed a cluster-r and omized pair matched trial in schools located in Cuenca – Ecuador . In total 20 schools ( clusters ) were pair matched , and 1440 adolescents of grade 8 and 9 ( mean age of 12.3 and 13.3 years respectively ) participated in the trial . For the purpose s of the subgroup analysis , the adolescents were classified into groups according to their weight status ( body mass index ) and aerobic capacity ( scores in the 20 m shuttle run and FITNESSGRAM st and ards ) at baseline . Primary outcomes included physical fitness ( vertical jump , speed shuttle run ) and physical activity ( proportion of students achieving over 60 min of moderate – to-vigorous physical activity/day ) . For these primary outcomes , we stratified analysis by weight ( underweight , normal BMI and overweight/obese ) and fitness ( fit and low fitness ) groups . Mixed linear regression models were used to assess the intervention effect . Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity , underweight and poor  physical  fitness  was 20.3 % , 5.8 % and 84.8 % respectively . A higher intervention effect was observed for speed shuttle run in overweight ( β = −1.85 s , P = 0.04 ) adolescents compared to underweight ( β = −1.66 s , P = 0.5 ) or normal weight ( β = −0.35 s , P = 0.6 ) peers . The intervention effect on vertical jump was higher in adolescents with poor physical fitness ( β = 3.71 cm , P = 0.005 ) compared to their fit peers ( β = 1.28 cm , P = 0.4 ) . The proportion of students achieving over 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity/day was not significantly different according to weight or fitness status . Conclusion Comprehensive school-based interventions that aim to improve diet and physical activity could improve speed and strength aspects of physical fitness in low-fit and overweight/obese adolescents . Trial registration Clinical trials.gov identifier NCT01004367 . Registered October 28 , 2009 Childhood obesity is a complex and multifaceted health problem linked to elevated risk for chronic diseases , such as diabetes , cancer , hypertension , and cardiovascular disease.1,2 Although research has increased dramatically in the past 2 decades , questions regarding factors driving overweight and obesity remain , particularly among youth of color who experience disproportionate rates of obesity and comorbid health conditions.3 Adolescence is a critical period in the developmental trajectory,4 in part because overweight and obese adolescents are more likely to remain overweight and /or obese in adulthood.3 Overweight and obesity have been associated with adverse symptoms and intra- and interpersonal psychological , social , and emotional issues that continue into adulthood , including depression and anxiety , social withdrawal , feeling worthless , lower self-esteem , and behavioral problems.5–7 Poor mental health may lead to increases in weight due to fluctuations in appetite , obesogenic behaviors ( eg , overeating ) to cope with negative mood , sedentary behavior , and increased isolation.8 Chronic stress or experiences of discrimination may also influence physiology and behaviors that affect weight gain.9 On the other h and , increased body mass index ( BMI ) could result in adverse emotional outcomes over time due to weight-based stigma , bullying , or poor self-esteem.5,6 The few longitudinal studies that have examined the association between emotional health and physical health outcomes have primarily taken a narrow focus of mental health symptoms ( e.g. , only examining depression)10 or behavioral concerns ( e.g. , conduct).11 Physical outcomes , including BMI , were often collected by self-report12 and /or retrospectively.13 Furthermore , they have been limited to predominantly White sample s of older adolescents or adults.12,13 Persistent racial and ethnic disparities in overweight and obesity further complicate research as well as clinical prevention and intervention efforts . Black and Latino youth experience disproportionate levels of overweight and obesity beginning as early as preschool and are more likely to remain obese as adults compared with Whites.14 Blacks and Latinos also are at disproportionate risk for multiple negative health conditions associated with overweight and obesity , such as diabetes.14,15 Reasons for such disparities remain poorly understood and understudied . Although emotional health has been associated with weight in both adults and youth,16 prior research has been limited to cross-sectional studies .17 Longitudinal , prospect i ve design s are critical to explicate the association between emotional health and BMI among Black and Latino youth . The primary objective of this study is to examine whether negative emotional symptoms prospect ively predict increases in BMI z-scores ( BMI -z ) across 2 years among a sample of predominantly Black and Latino , urban youth . We hypothesize that more negative emotional symptoms measured at baseline ( grade s 5 and 6 ) would predict increases in BMI -z scores 2 years later . Results can inform programs and interventions aim ed at reducing obesity in youth of color OBJECT Increased importance on academic achievement has result ed in many school districts focusing on improved academic performance leading to reductions in physical education time . The purpose was to examine the effects of 45 minutes of daily physical education on the cognitive ability , fitness performance and body composition of African American elementary and middle school youth . METHODS Participants completing the informed consent in grade s 2nd to 8th were included in the study . A pre/posttest design was used with repeated measures analysis of variance . Experimental and control school participants were pretested on the  cognitive measures ( ie , Fluid Intelligence and Perceptual Speed ) and Fitnessgram ® physical fitness test items ( eg , aerobic capacity , muscular strength and muscular endurance , body composition ) in September 2009 and posttested in May 2010 . RESULTS Experimental elementary and middle school participants observed significantly greater improvements compared with control elementary and middle school participants on 7 of 16 fitness and body composition measures and on 8 of 26 cognitive measures . These fitness , body composition , and cognitive improvement differences were more noticeable among elementary and middle school females . CONCLUSIONS Providing 45 minutes of daily physical education can perhaps increase cognitive ability while increasing fitness and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obese youth Background Effective interventions to prevent overweight and obesity in children are urgently needed especially in inner-city neighbourhoods where prevalence of overweight and inactivity among primary school children is high . A school based intervention was developed aim ing at the reduction of overweight and inactivity in these children by addressing both behavioural and environmental determinants . Methods / design The main components of the intervention ( Lekker Fit ! ) are the re-establishment of a professional physical education teacher ; three ( instead of two ) PE classes per week ; additional sport and play activities outside school hours ; fitness testing ; classroom education on healthy nutrition , active living and healthy lifestyle choices ; and the involvement of parents . The effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated through a cluster r and omized controlled trial in 20 primary schools among grade s 3 through 8 ( 6–12 year olds ) . Primary outcome measures are BMI , waist circumference and fitness . Secondary outcome measures are assessed in a subgroup of grade 6–8 pupils ( 9–12 year olds ) through classroom question naires and constitute of nutrition and physical activity behaviours and behavioural determinants . Multilevel regression analyses are used to study differences in outcomes between children in the intervention schools and in  control schools , taking clustering of children within schools into account . Discussion Hypotheses are that the intervention results in a lower prevalence of children being overweight and an improved mean fitness score , in comparison with a control group where the intervention is not implemented . The results of our study will contribute to the discussion on the role of physical education and physical activity in the school curriculum . Trial registration [ IS RCT N84383524 Abstract The purpose of the present study was to assess different aspects of physical activity and fitness in order to develop a basis for sport programmes for overweight and obese children . Eighty-eight prepubertal children ( 49 boys , 39 girls , 4.8–11.4 years old , 61 % obese , 14 % overweight and 25 % normal weight ) were examined . Body composition was assessed by combined use of anthropometrics and bioelectrical impedance analysis . Resting energy expenditure ( REE ) and total energy expenditure ( TEE ) were measured by indirect calorimetry ( IC ) and individually calibrated 24-h heart rate ( HR ) monitoring , respectively . Activity-related energy expenditure ( AEE ) and physical activity level ( PAL )  were calculated from TEE and REE .  Fitness [ assessed by O2-pulse , respiratory exchange ratio ( RER ) at submaximal work intensities ] was determined by ergometry . The maximal isometric muscle strength of the legs ( m. quadriceps , Fa max , m. ischiocruralis , Fb max ) was measured by computer tensiometry .  Children were grouped according to their nutritional state , AEE , O2-pulse and muscle strength . When compared with normal weight children , obese and overweight children had increased fat mass ( FM ) , fat-free mass ( FFM ) , waist-to-hip ratio and REE , but no group differences were observed for TEE , AEE , and PAL . Obese and overweight children spent more hours per day watching TV  . After correction for body weight and FFM , no group differences in REE were observed , but normal weight children had a higher O2-pulse than overweight and obese children . By contrast , RER was increased in the latter group . The fittest group had the lowest body weight , BMI , FM and FFM . Children with a low O2-pulse spent more hours per day watching TV . Grouping children according to their degree of muscle strength , younger children ( 4–7.5 years ) did not show group differences in nutritional state , energy expenditure , physical activity and fitness . However , in the group of 7.6- to 11-year-old children , those with the greatest muscle strength and FFM had reduced BMI , skin folds , FM and FFM . FM correlated inversely with O2-pulse , but was not associated with TEE , AEE , PAL or muscle strength . By contrast TV consumption was positively associated with FM . To summarize , overweight and obese children were less fit and watched more TV than their normal weight counterparts . FM did not correspond to TEE , AEE or PAL . Muscle strength was not associated with FM in young children , but was inversely associated with FM in older children . Our cross-sectional data are consistent with the idea that increased fitness and reduced physical inactivity may prevent children from being overweight
Group sports improve body composition , cardiorespiratory endurance , and h and grip strength of overweight/obese youth .
Flexibility and neuromotor fitness do not seem to change following group sports
Group sports interventions have been developed to improve health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .
However , its benefits are not systematic ally documented .
This study synthesizes the evidence about the effects of group sports on health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .