Objective-Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) was a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish increases in overweight and obesity in elementary school children.Methods-Twenty-four elementary schools were cluster randomized to the PAAC intervention or served as control. All children in grades two and three were followed to grades four and five. PAAC promoted 90 minutes/wk of moderate to vigorous intensity physically active academic lessons delivered by classroom teachers. BMI was the primary outcome, daily PA and academic achievement were secondary outcomes.Results-The three-year change in BMI for PAAC was 2.0 ± 1.9 and control 1.9 ± 1.9, respectively (NS). However, change in BMI from baseline to three years was significantly influenced by exposure

Moderate-intensity exercise sustained for 16 months is effective for weight management in young adults.

Shifts in beverage consumption were found in this convenient sample across two years. Diet soda consumption was the only type of beverage associated with year 2 BMI Z-score, and consumption was greater in overweight subjects and subjects who gained weight as compared to normal weight subjects at two years. Additional longitudinal data examining associations between beverage consumption and BMI is needed in children and adolescents, as consumption of regular and diet soda has become more of a social norm.

Obesity and low levels of physical and metabolic fitness are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The purpose of this investigation was to attenuate obesity and improve physical and metabolic fitness in elementary school children. Schools have the opportunity, mechanisms, and personnel in place to deliver nutrition education, fitness activities, and a school food service that is nutritious and healthy. Cohorts from grades 3 to 5 in two school districts in rural Nebraska (Intervention/Control) participated in a 2-year study of physical activity and modified school lunch program. Data collection for aerobic capacity, body composition, blood chemistry, nutrition knowledge, energy intake, and physical activity was at the beginning and end of each year. Int received enhanced physical activity, grade specific nutrition education, and a lower fat and sodium school lunch program. Con continued with a regular school lunch and team sports activity program. At year 2, Int lunches had significantly less energy (9%), fat (25%), sodium (21%), and more fiber (17%). However, measures of 24-hour energy intake for Int and Con showed significant differences for sodium only. Physical activity in the classroom was 6% greater for Int compared to Con (p < 0.05) but physical activity outside of school was approximately 16% less for Int compared to Con (p < 0.05). Body weight and body fat were not different between schools for normal weight or obese children. No differences were found for cholesterol, insulin, and glucose; however, HDL cholesterol was significantly greater and cholesterol/HDL was significantly less for Int compared to Con (p < 0.05). It appears that compensation in both energy intake and physical activity outside of school may be responsible for the lack of differences between Int and Con.

This preliminary data suggests that active commuting does not appear to provide sufficient amounts of physical activity to attenuate BMI; however, it may contribute to the attainment of physical activity recommendations. Future research is needed to objectively measure the impact of active commuting on the prevalence of overweight.

OBJECTIVES:To compare the effects of 18 months of continuous vs intermittent exercise on aerobic capacity, body weight and composition, and metabolic ®tness in previously sedentary, moderately obese females. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective, long-term cohort study. Subjects performed continuous exercise at 60 ± 75% of maximum aerobic capacity, 3 days per week, 30 min per session, or exercised intermittently using brisk walking for two, 15 min sessions, 5 days per week. MEASURES: Aerobic capacity, body weight, body composition, and metabolic ®tness (blood pressure, lipids, glucose and insulin). RESULTS: Signi®cant improvements for aerobic capacity of 8% and 6% were shown for the continuous and intermittent exercise groups, respectively. Weight loss for the continuous exercise group was signi®cant at 2.1% from baseline weight and the intermittent group was essentially unchanged. The continuous group showed a signi®cant decrease in percentage of body fat and fat weight while the intermittent group did not. HDL cholesterol and insulin were signi®cantly improved for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In previously sedentary, moderately obese females, continuous or intermittent exercise performed long-term may be effective for preventing weight gain and for improving some measures of metabolic ®tness.

The 7D-PAR provided a reasonable estimate of both the mean TDEE and PAEE in this sample; however, estimates of energy expenditure on an individual basis using the PAR were subject to considerable error.

Long-term resistance training (RT) may result in a chronic increase in 24-hour energy expenditure (EE) and fat oxidation to a level sufficient to assist in maintaining energy balance and prevent weight gain. However, the impact of a minimal RT program on these parameters in an overweight college age population, a group at high risk for developing obesity, is unknown. Purpose We aimed to evaluate the effect of 6-months of supervised minimal RT in previously sedentary, overweight (mean±SEM, BMI=27.7±0.5kg/m2) young adults (21.0±0.5yrs) on 24-hr EE, resting metabolic rate (RMR), sleep metabolic rate (SMR) and substrate oxidation using whole room indirect calorimetry 72-h after the last RT session. Methods Participants were randomized to RT (1 set, 3 d/wk, 3–6 repetition maximum, 9 exercises) (N=22) or control (C, N=17) groups and completed all assessments at baseline and 6 months. Results There was a significant (P<0.05) increase in 24-hr EE in the RT (527 ± 220kJ/d) and C (270 ± 168kJ/d) groups, however, the difference between groups was not significant (P=0.30). Twenty-four hour fat oxidation (g/day) was not altered after RT, however; reductions in RQ assessed during both rest (P<0.05) and sleep (P<0.05) suggested increased fat oxidation in RT compared with C during these periods. SMR (8.4±8.6%) and RMR (7.4±8.7%) increased significantly in RT (P<0.001) but not in C, resulting in significant (P<0.001) between group differences for SMR with a trend for significant (P=0.07) between group differences for RMR. Conclusion A minimal RT program that required little time to complete (11 min per session) resulted in a chronic increase in energy expenditure. This adaptation in energy expenditure may have a favorable impact on energy balance and fat oxidation sufficient to assist with the prevention of obesity in sedentary, overweight young adults, a group at high risk for developing obesity.