Introduction:

Obesity is a disease of rapid and constant evolution that generates burden on health costs due to secondary diseases, which appear at increasingly earlier ages. The decreased physical performance caused by obesity has been described in several studies, and is mainly associated with the alteration of aerobic capacity as a causative agent, but also to a decrease amount of participation in other physical abilities.

Objective:

To determine the degree of association between body fat percentage and physical abilities (strength, flexibility and resistance) in school children.

Materials and methods:

The physical capabilities of second through fifth grades children, aged 7 to 11, were assessed using FITNESSGRAM(r). The variables body fat percentage and basic physical capabilities were also correlated to determine the strength of the association among them.

Results:

There is significant association between body fat percentage and PACER level (p=0.0001), push up (p<0.0001), abdominal strength (p=0.0148) and left shoulder flexibility (p=0.03186). However, there was no association with strength potency.

Conclusions:

Body fat percentage has high influence on physical abilities in general. Developing strategies is necessary to counter overweight and obesity at early ages and to encourage physical activity to minimize deleterious health effects.

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