Why is body composition testing important?
Research has shown that excessive fatness is associated with increased blood pressure, elevated blood lipids and type II diabetes. Long-term studies show a relationship between adult obesity and childhood obesity especially as children become adolescents. Together these studies indicate that excessive fatness in children and youth increase the likelihood of obesity-related adult diseases including coronary heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and type II diabetes. For more details about the scientific basis of assessing body composition, see pages 87-92 of the FITNESSGRAM Reference Guide, accessible from the home page of the www.Fitnessgram.net Web site or from the Cooper Institute Web site at http://www.cooperinsti tute.org/products/grams/documents/FITNESSGRAM_ReferenceGuide.pdf.
