Body Composition, Physical Activity and Fitness in Children with Moderate-to-Severe Intellectual Disability

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been rising in most parts of the world over the past two decades (1, 2). This rise could pose even a greater problem for people with intellectual disability (ID) because they are more likely to be obese than people without ID (3). Furthermore, research has shown that a sedentary lifestyle is more prevalent among people with ID than otherwise healthy people in modern society (4). In the general population, the adverse effects of obesity on health begin early in life and physical inactivity and adiposity are associated with metabolic diseases and cancers (5). In contrast, higher levels of physical activity and aerobic fitness have been associated with lower risk for metabolic diseases (6, 7). Although it is anticipated that children with ID experience the same adverse effects of health from obesity and lack of physical activity and aerobic fitness, it has not been comprehensively studied. In this context the purpose of this study was to investigate body composition, physical activity and fitness among children with moderate-to-severe ID