Physical activity and health – what are the recommendations and where do we find the Swiss population?

Since 1999 Switzerland has physical activity recommendations for adults, since 2006 also for school-age children and adolescents. The best available estimates indicate that 32% of adults meet the recommendations for three endurance-type training sessions and another 9% the minimal recommendations of half an hour moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. 13% of Swiss adolescents seem to meet the minimal recommendations of one hour on every day of the week, 35% on five days per week. These data rely on standardised, nationally representative surveys providing robust estimates, but they are based on self-report instruments of untested, poor or questionable validity against objective measurements of physical activity. No nationally representative data is available on compliance of children with the recommendations. Physical activity recommendations for all age groups in Switzerland should be reviewed in the light of the WHO recommendations expected for 2010. Established national surveys should be continued to allow the description of trends. In addition, physical activity behaviour of children and other age groups should be assessed using internationally standardised and nationally validated questionnaires and objective measurements. The feasibility of physiological measurements at the population level should be explored