Abstract
BackgroundThe magnitude of the association between physical activity (PA) and obesity has been difficult to establish using questionnaires. The aim of the study was to evaluate patterns of PA across BMI-defined weight categories and to examine the independent contribution of PA on weight status, using accelerometers.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional population-based study of 3,867 adults and older people aged 20–85 years, living in Norway. PA was assessed for seven consecutive days using the ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer. Anthropometrical data was self-reported and overweight and obesity was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25–<30 and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively.ResultsOverweight and obese participants performed less overall PA and PA of at least moderate intensity and took fewer steps, compared to normal weight participants. Although overall PA did not differ between weekdays and weekends, an interaction between BMI category and type of day was present, indicating a larger difference in overall PA between BMI categories on weekends compared to weekdays. Obese participants displayed 19% and 25% lower overall physical activity compared to normal weight participants, on weekdays and weekends, respectively. Participants in the most active quintile of overall PA had a 53% lower risk (OR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.60) for having a BMI above or below 25 kg/m2, and a 71% lower risk (OR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.44) for having a BMI above or below 30 kg/m2.ConclusionsOverweight and obese participants engaged in less overall PA and moderate and vigorous PA compared with normal weight individuals. The weight related differences in overall PA were most pronounced on the weekend and the risk of being overweight or obese decreases across quintiles of PA.
Highlights
The adverse effects of overweight and obesity on health are well documented [1]
The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) by; 1) describing overall PA and intensityspecific PA across BMI categories; 2) evaluating the hourly patterns of overall PA stratified by BMI category across weekdays and weekend days 3) determining the independent contribution of overall PA and moderate-tovigorous PA (MVPA) on weight status
Overall PA and steps per day displayed a similar pattern for men, only reaching statistical significance for overall PA
Summary
The adverse effects of overweight and obesity on health are well documented [1]. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide [2], and Norwegian data indicate that 44% of women and 65% of men (aged 40–42 years) are either overweight or obese [3]. Nutrition surveys conducted in Norway in the past decades show that energy intake has not increased substantially [6], whereas average weight and prevalence of overweight and obesity have increased, during the same time period [3]. The composition of available foods may have changed, the increase in weight can be explained at least partly by a gradual decrease in habitual physical activity (PA), most notably by the apparent transition in occupational PA demands [7] and by increased car use and time spent at screen-based entertainment [8,9]. Objective assessment of PA using activity monitors such as accelerometers can overcome many of the challenges related to self-reported measures of PA because they are unobtrusive and capable of accurately documenting the degree, nature, and pattern of PA [21,22]. The aim of the study was to evaluate patterns of PA across BMI-defined weight categories and to examine the independent contribution of PA on weight status, using accelerometers
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