[Physical activity, physical fitness, and overweight in children and adolescents: evidence from epidemiologic studies]

Abstract

Physical activity and fitness play a significant role in prevention of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Current understanding and evidence from epidemiologic studies provide useful insights to better understand how they relate to each other and how to develop future intervention strategies. This paper summarizes the most relevant information from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the relationships between physical activity, physical fitness, and overweight in early life. According to current scientific evidence: (i) High levels of physical activity during childhood and adolescence, particularly vigorous physical activity, are associated to lower total and central adiposity at this age and later in life; (ii) the level of physical fitness, especially aerobic fitness, is inversely related to current and future adiposity levels; (iii) overweight children and adolescents with a high fitness level have a healthier cardiovascular profile than their overweight, low fit peers and a similar profile to their normal weight, low fit peers. This suggests that high fitness levels may counteract the negative consequences attributed to body fat. These findings suggest that increasing physical fitness in overweight children and adolescents may have many positive effects on health, including lower body fat levels.

Keywords: Actividad física; Adiposidad; Adiposity; Adolescence; Adolescencia; Aerobic capacity; Capacidad aeróbica; Childhood; Ejercicio; Exercise; Fatness; Forma física; Fuerza muscular; Grasa; Infancia; Muscular fitness; Physical activity; Physical fitness.