Fitness and physical activity level of children with normal
weight but high fat percent
–
a
cross
sectional study

Background:
Normal
 weight 
children 
are 
often 
considered
 healthy 
according 
to
 lifestyle 
diseases.
It 
is 
known
 that
 a 
sedentary 
lifestyle 
might 
cause 
excessive
 body
fat
 even 
in 
normal
weight 
persons.

 Aim:
the 
purpose 
of
 this 
cross‐sectional 
study 
was
 to 
determine 
whether
children 
with 
normal
 weight 
but 
high
 fat 
percent 
(total 
body
fat 
percent
>
25 
for
 males 
and
>30
 for
 females) 
would 
show
 a 
specific 
profile 
according 
to 
CVD 
risk
 factors 
by 
having 
a 
low
 fitness 
and
 physical
 activity 
level,
higher 
fasting
 blood
 glucose
 and
 blood
pressure 
than 
children 
with 
normal
weight 
and 
normal
 fat
 percent.
 Material
 and 
Methods: 
anthropometric 
measures,
 blood
pressure, 
fasting
 blood
 glucose 
and 
a 
DEXA
scan 
was
 obtained 
from
614 
children 
from
 2nd
‐4th
 grade
 in
 primary
school, 
mean
age
9, 8
(0.89)
yrs. 
Furthermore 
these 
children 
wore
 accelerometers
(ActiGraph
GT3X)
 for
 a 
week.
Fitness
level 
was 
measured 
by 
a
 modified 
shuttle
run 
test
 (The
Andersen
Test).
The
 children 
were 
considered
 Normal
Weight 
but 
High
Fat
(NWHF)
 if 
their 
BMI 
was
 normal 
according 
to 
Cole
 et
al
(2000) 
and 
if 
DEXA
scan
 total
 body 
fat 
percent 
exceeded 
25 
for 
boys 
and 
30
 for 
girls.
 Results:
a
 total 
of 
28 
(12
boys, 
16
girls) 
were
 found
 to 
be 
NWHF.
There 
were 
no
 significant
 difference 
in 
blood
 pressure 
and
 fasting 
blood
glucose. 
A 
significant
 difference 
was
 found
 in
 physical 
activity
(PA)
 level
 (minutes
pr.
day 
in 
low
 (<3METS), 
moderate
(>3<6
METS),
 or
high
(>
6METS)
PA)
 and 
fitness
 level.
 Conclusion:
The 
NWHF
children
 had
 significantly 
lower
 fitness 
level
 and
 significant 
different 
PA
 level 
patterns. 
We
 suggest 
that
 minutes 
spend
 in
 low 
and
 high 
PA
 are 
the 
clinical 
most 
relevant
 objectives 
to 
focus 
on 
in 
further 
research
 and 
clinical 
settings 
where 
intervention 
is 
aiming
 to 
”move”
children
 for
 health
 benefits.