How does exercise impact obesity in terms of its prevention or treatment?

Abstract

Obesity is a major public health issue globally currently. As a public health issue, interventions against obesity involve both preventive and active treatment strategies. Exercises are among such interventions as one of the most common weight management methods. This study aimed to assess the impact of exercise on obesity in terms of prevention and treatment. The study was conducted as a systematic literature review, comprising 10 selected studies from PubMed, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. The study results suggest conflicting scholarly arguments regarding the impact of exercise on obesity prevention and treatment. The study findings indicate that practices on their own may not be effective for weight loss and weight management in obese patients. Hence, the intervention should be combined with other strategies like diet monitoring. However, regular exercises have an important physiological role in metabolic regulation and improving aerobic fitness. As a result, this improved cardiovascular functions in obese patients. Further studies are needed to understand the regulated daily energy expenditure regardless of the level of exercise, which directly affects the amount of weight lost through physical exercises.