[Purpose] This study was performed to assess the effect of daily sitting time during
media consumption on physical fitness, total energy expenditure (TEE), and body
composition indices of Saudi school children. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 180
healthy Saudi school students (8–18 years) were included in this study. Sitting time,
total energy expenditure, and levels of physical activity were evaluated with
pre-validated internet based questionnaires. Body composition indices were evaluated using
anthropometric analysis. [Results] Out of the studied participants, only 22.2% of students
were physically inactive. Children with moderate and active physical scores demonstrated
less sedentary behavior (TV viewing and computer usage), lower body composition values
(BMI, WC, WHtR), and higher TEE than sedentary or mild activity level participants. Boys
showed higher fitness scores and less sedentary behavior than girls. Media sitting time
among the studied subjects correlated negatively with physical scores and positively with
body composition. [Conclusion] The data presented here suggests that poor physical
fitness, lower TEE, and longer sitting times differentially influence normal body
composition indices among school children which may lead to overweight or obese
individuals. Thus, decreasing sitting time during media consumption and enhancing physical
activity may play a pivotal role in preventing obesity in young children.