Impact of Physical Activity on BMI and Thyroid Function in Obese Women

Abstract

Overnutrition is emerging as a major problem in all segments of the population due to the steep reduction in physical activity and is associated with thyroid dysfunction. One hundred overnourished women were enrolled in the intervention study aimed at assessing the impact of improving physical activity in women on body weight, BMI and thyroid function. On the basis of the BMI during the initial screening, these women were divided into four groups (OWIG1, OWIG2, OBIG3 and OBIG4). The groups were randomly assigned exercise routines of 30 minutes and 45 minutes to be done at home for five days a week for 26 weeks. In all these women the serum TSH, T3 and T4 levels were estimated at zero, thirteen and twenty-six weeks of intervention. A significant reduction in pre- and post-weight and BMI levels was observed. A uniform negative association (p=<0.005) indicated the significance of the exercise intervention with anthropometric parameters. Positively uniform correlations between the exercise intervention and the thyroid function tests during the entire study period were found at p=<0.05 (sig. <0.001) level of significance. Exercise significantly explained weight to 43% and BMI to 64%; while it did not show significance for serum thyroid levels. Tackling overnutrition and associated health hazards requires a combination of interventions such as increase in physical activity and approaches to bring about behaviour change for addressing modifiable risk factors.