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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity is related to impaired day-to-day physical functioning and disability in children. Conclusions: As anticipated, obesity appears to undermine physical functioning in children, including the capacity to perform basic locomotor skills yet, unexpectedly, participation in key life areas related to physical functioning appeared largely unaffected. Methods: An observational case-control study was conducted in three Australian states. Obese (n = 107) and healthy-weight (n = 132) 10- to 13-year-olds (132 male, 107 female) were recruited via media advertisements. Assessment of body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), locomotor capacity (six-minute walk test [6MWT], timed up and down stairs test [TUDS] and timed up and go [TUG]) and child-reported physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were undertaken. Participants wore an accelerometer for 8 days and completed two use-of-time telephone interviews to assess participation in key life areas. Results: Compared with their healthy-weight counterparts, obese children had lower physical HRQoL scores (P