title: Obese and unfit students dislike physical education in adolescence: myth or truth? The AVENA and UP&DOWN studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the physical education context a well- known myth suggest that obese and unfit youth dislike physical education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine if adolescents who dislike physical education have higher levels of fatness and lower of fitness than their peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 2606 (49.3% girls) adolescents from AVENA and UP&DOWN studies. physical education enjoyment was assessed with a 7-point Likert scale. Fatness was assessed with BMI, skinfolds and waist circumference. Physical fitness was assessed with cardiorespiratory, motor and muscular fitness tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Boys who dislike physical education had similar levels of fatness and fitness than their peers (all P>0.05). Adolescent girls who dislike physical education had higher levels in body fat (P=0.035), and lower levels in muscular (P=0.007) and motor (P=0.007) fitness than their peers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since only girls who dislike physical education seem to have, albeit weak, higher levels of fatness and lower of fitness than their peers, it partially confirms the myth in adolescent girls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cañadas
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sport. School of Sport Sciences. University of Granada, Granada.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Jonatan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Oscar L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition. Spanish National Research Council, Madrid,. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomez-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Esteban-Cornejo
authors.affiliation: Departament of Physiology, University of Murcia, Murcia.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Llamas
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences and Sport. University of Zaragoza, Huesca.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Casajús
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Cantabria, Santander. Spain.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cabero
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition. Spanish National Research Council, Madrid,. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Ascensión
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.cannadas@uam.es.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez-Gomez
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students