It is unclear from these results whether sports programs , as currently offered , protect youth from becoming overweight or obese .
Sport is a promising setting for obesity prevention among youth , but little is known about whether it prevents obesity .
Physical fitness and physical activity in obese and nonobese Flemish youth.
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
It is unclear from these results whether sports programs , as currently offered , protect youth from becoming overweight or obese .
Sport is a promising setting for obesity prevention among youth , but little is known about whether it prevents obesity .