The role of physical activity and exercise in managing obesity and achieving weight loss

Exercise and physical activity are openly advocated by the medical and healthcare community, as well as public bodies, as an effective weight loss tool and an important component of a healthy lifestyle. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the most effective exercise prescription for achieving or maintaining weight loss. A common question encountered within clinical settings is how much exercise is needed to lose weight and keep the weight off and what type of exercise will achieve this most effectively. This chapter reviews the scientific evidence regarding the clinical utility of exercise-based and physical activity–based weight loss interventions within clinical and community-based settings. Specifically, the chapter reviews evidence pertaining to exercise modality, physical activity and reduced sedentariness, multimodal exercise interventions, exercise-specific health benefits beyond weight loss, and exercise/physical activity for obese paediatric populations. This chapter promotes a shift in healthcare culture away from single-minded exercise promotion to permanent lifestyle change, which recognises an individual’s needs, goals, and history. In this regard, a sliding scale as to the amount of time allotted and intensity of effort should be carefully gauged so that weight loss or weight maintenance is achieved with a lower rate of dropout while ensuring individuals profit from the vast array of health benefits and establish long-term behavior change