Most people think of body composition and physical fitness as the same thing. It is thought that if a person is thin and or muscular then they have good physical fitness. While body composition is a part of fitness, it does not stand alone as its definition. Physical fitness also consists of coordination and endurance. All three work together to benefit each other. You can have one without the others, but it is not typical and not ideal. In my years of being involved with youth sports and seeing kids in the office I have seen some kids who would be considered overweight and even obese who were athletic. They may be coordinated and possess athletic skills but they usually had some limitations to their performance, especially when it came to endurance. Optimal performance depends on all three: coordination, endurance and body composition.
What is Body Composition
Body composition is the relative amount of fat that is on a body. A healthier body composition has less fat and more muscle. Typically we do not measure body composition. If we did measure it we would measure or calculate the percent body fat we have. There are several ways that this can be measured but each has the drawback of being tedious, expensive to perform and may require tools that are not readily available to the average person or even most physicians. So how do we determine body composition? The most common way is just by observation. As a child’s body composition becomes very unhealthy or extremely unhealthy it is easily seen. For kids who have a minor problem with body composition we can use tools like weight, weight percentiles and BMI (Body Mass Index) to help monitor.. These numbers are not absolutes but can help give us guidance. It is best to consult your child’s physician about your child’s body composition and weight. They can help guide you to maintain or achieve a healthy body composition. In most cases it is not needed or not the best practice to monitor or follow your child’s weight at home. Instead in most situations kids should only be weighed in the doctor’s office.
How does it develop?
Simply put it is caused by the over consumption of calories. It happens when our children take in more calories than their bodies use for activity and growth. There are nuances to this and our bodies react to different types of foods in different manners but in the end it boils down to a simple scientific principle. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change. So when our children take in food the energy stored inside of the food is used for activity and growth and what is left over is stored as fat in their bodies. So it is obvious that the cure to the equation is to either take in less calories or increase activity to use more energy. If only it were that simple in practice!
Effect on fitness
So how does body composition affect overall fitness? There are two main effects and they were both mentioned earlier. Those effects are an interference with how the body is naturally supposed to function and a decrease in endurance. When our kids’ bodies have an overabundance of fat on them it limits function. It becomes more difficult for the body to move, twist and balance. Excess fat is a disruption to proprioception which is needed for body coordination. Because of this fat interferes with performing specific athletic skills. Then there are the effects on endurance. These effects often come from just the plain extra amount of weight that a child may be carrying. Just imagine carrying extra weight with you while you are completing an activity. The more weight you carry the sooner your body fatigues.
Body competition is a key element of your child’s fitness. But it is also a maker of overall health. When the child’s body composition is unhealthy they are at risk for multiple health problems. Before this leads to issues that are irreversible let’s help our children become more fit and more healthy. How do we do this you may ask? As I always say “The best preventive medicine is movement”. So let’s get out and Move It!
