Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Obesity patterns in children commonly develop between the ages of five and 13. If an overweight child does not follow proper diet and exercise behaviors, that child is more likely to become an overweight adult. The purpose of this study was to compare eating habits, levels of physical activity, and body composition of elementary aged children based upon gender. Thirty 3rd grade students (females = 18, males = 12) served as subjects for this study. Each student completed a 10-item questionnaire related to his or her physical activity and eating habits. The dietary habits portion of the questionnaire consisted of seven questions, and the scores could range from 0-42 with a high score reflecting poor eating habits. The physical activity portion consisted of three questions with a score range of 0-18. A high score here was also reflective of poor behavior. Upon completion of the questionnaire, each student had his or her body composition measured using the standing bioelectrical impedance (BIA) method. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was computed to compare the variables of body composition, dietary habits, and levels of physical activity between the genders. For the comparisons of body composition and levels of physical activity, no statistically significant differences were found between the males and females (p>.05). For the comparison of dietary habits, a statistical significance was found; F(1,29)= 6.867, p=.014, p<.05. The males (M =24) exhibited poorer eating habits than the females (M = 13). Pearson correlations were also computed to determine if body composition measures were related to exercise habits and/or levels of activity. No statistical relationship was found between body composition and diet habits (p>.05). A statistically significant inverse relationship was found for physical activity and body composition (r=-.434, p=.016, p<.05). This inverse relationship supports what is believed in the physical education field that the more physically active a person is, the lower their body composition should be. However, the poor dietary habits of the male students should be a great concern. These poor habits did not currently have an impact on their body composition, but what will be the impact to their body composition as they become adults and grow less active. To prevent these habits from continuing, physical educators need to incorporate more nutrition and healthy eating habit information into their curriculums while maintaining appropriate levels of physical activity. Keyword(s): elementary education, exercise/fitness, health promotion