Do School Athletes Really Eat Better? Nutritional and Body Composition Differences in Saudi Adolescents

Background: Obesity among Saudi adolescents has risen sharply, yet whether school athletic participation is associated with students showing improved dietary habits and better anthropometric profiles compared to those of their non-athlete peers remains unclear. This study compared anthropometric indices and dietary habits between school athletes and non-athletes in Riyadh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 124 male secondary school students (70 athletes and 54 non-athletes aged 16–17 years) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Athletes were defined as students who reported engaging in vigorous-intensity sport for ≥3 days/week for ≥60 min/session. BMI, body weight, and waist circumference were measured objectively. Dietary habit frequencies across ten food categories were assessed using the validated Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS) questionnaire. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests were used; effect sizes were calculated as Cohen’s d. A Bonferroni-corrected threshold (p < 0.005) was applied for multiple dietary comparisons. Results: Athletes had significantly lower BMI (23.64 ± 5.39 vs. 30.28 ± 7.25 kg/m2; p < 0.001, d = 1.06), body weight (p < 0.001, d = 0.93), and waist circumference (85.46 ± 12.61 vs. 95.50 ± 17.89 cm; p < 0.001, d = 0.66). Obesity prevalence was 15.7% among athletes versus 51.9% among non-athletes. Of ten dietary variables, only fresh fruit consumption showed a between-group difference (62.9% vs. 40.7% high-frequency; p = 0.010), which did not survive Bonferroni correction. Conclusions: School athletes demonstrated substantially better anthropometric profiles than their non-athlete peers, but dietary habit frequencies were largely similar across both groups. The high obesity prevalence among non-athletes underscores the need for school-based programs that combine structured physical activity with targeted nutrition education.