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Objective: To determine whether physical activity, sedentary activities, and/or cardiorespiratory fitness are related to waist circumference in adolescents, as previously reported in adults.

Research Methods and Procedures: The study subjects were a representative sample of Spanish adolescents (N = 2859; 1357 boys, 1502 girls; age, 13 to 18.5 years), all of whom were involved in the AVENA (Food and Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Adolescents) study. BMI, waist circumference, pubertal maturation status, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured in all. Leisure‐time physical activity, sedentary activities, active commuting to school, and socioeconomic status were assessed by self‐reported questionnaires.

Results: No relationship was found between leisure‐time physical activity and BMI or waist circumference. In contrast, and in both boys and girls and after adjustment for confounding variables …