Aerobic fitness, blood lipids, and body fat in children.

This study examined the association between aerobic fitness and serum cholesterol and the effects of controlling for gender, body composition, abdominal fat, and dietary saturated fat in 262 children. The 1-mile run was used to estimate fitness. Skinfolds were used in assessing body fat. Fit children had lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than unfit children, except after adjustment for body fat and/or abdominal fat. Unfit children appear to be at an increased risk of unhealthy levels of serum cholesterol due primarily to increased levels of body fat.