Childhood Fitness Reduces the Long-term Cardio-metabolic Risks Associated with Childhood Obesity

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine whether childhood fitness attenuates or modifies the long-term cardio-metabolic risks associated with childhood obesity.FigureMETHODS: The study consisted of a 20-year follow-up of 1792 adults who participated in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey when they were between 7 and 15 years of age. Baseline measures included a 1.6km run to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and waist circumference (WC) measurement to assess abdominal adiposity. At follow-up, participants attended study clinics where component indicators of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) (WC, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipids) were measured. RESULTS: Both high WC and low CRF in childhood were significant independent predictors of subsequent MetS in early adulthood. For example, the mutually adjusted relative risk of adult MetS was 3.1 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.9-5.1) for children in the highest (vs. lowest) third of WC and 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4-0.9) for children with high (vs. low) CRF. Higher levels of CRF in childhood were associated with lower risks of adult MetS among those with either low or high childhood WC values, with similar risks being observed for those who were abdominally lean but unfit in childhood and those who had high levels of abdominal adiposity but were fit in childhood (see figure). Participants who had both high WC and low CRF in childhood were 8.5 times more likely to have MetS in adulthood than those who had low WC and high CRF in childhood. CONCLUSION: Childhood WC and CRF are both strongly associated with cardio-metabolic health in later life. Higher levels of CRF substantially reduce the risk of adult metabolic syndrome, even among those with abdominal obesity in childhood.