OBESITY AS AN INDICATOR OF FITNESS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS OF MEN OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the fitness of the male population in the Czech republic, based on different indicators of obesity. The research sample consisted of 284 men, divided into 6 age groups. To identify the average degree of obesity in different age groups of the male population, several indicators of obesity were used: BMI, %body fat, visceral fat, fitness score. The results show that with increasing age (p <0.05) the fitness score decreases, while the amount of visceral fat, the percentage of fat and BMI increases. Depending on the used criteria, the number of people falling into the category of obese differs significantly. The standard criterion recommended for the assessment of obesity (WHO) is "subcutaneous fat" or "BMI". However, standard criteria can’t reflect the proportion of the muscular component; therefore, in our view they are inappropriate for the assessment of obesity and fitness. For the evaluation of obesity we recommend the fitness score.