Impact of Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions Provided by Nutrition and Exercise Practitioners for the Adult General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Healthy dietary intake and physical activity reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of interventions including both nutrition and physical activity provided by nutrition and exercise practitioners for adults in the general population (those without diagnosed disease). The MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and SportDiscus databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2010 until April 2021. Outcomes included physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, waist circumference, percent weight loss, quality of life (QoL) and adverse events. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods were used to synthesize and grade evidence. Meta-analyses were stratified according to participant health status. The database search identified 11,205 articles, and 31 RCTs were included. Interventions increased physical activity amount [standardized mean difference (SMD) (95% CI): 0.25 (0.08, 0.43)] (low certainty evidence); increased vegetable intake [SMD (95% CI): 0.14 (0.05, 0.23)] (moderate certainty evidence); reduced waist circumference [MD (95% CI): −2.16 cm (−2.96, −1.36)] (high certainty evidence); and increased likelihood of achieving 5% weight loss for adults with overweight and obesity [relative risk (95% CI): 2.37 (1.76, 3.19)] (high certainty evidence). Very low and low certainty evidence described little-to-no effect on QoL or adverse events. Nutrition and exercise practitioners play key roles in facilitating positive lifestyle behaviors to reduce cardiometabolic disease risk in adults.

Factors associated with diet quality among Brazilian individuals with cardiovascular diseases

“…In the present study, it was observed that individuals who practiced physical activity had a better quality of diet compared to sedentary individuals. This finding can be explained by active individuals being more willing to follow healthy eating habits 40 …”

“…This finding can be explained by active individuals being more willing to follow healthy eating habits. 40 There are some methodological limitations to be considered in the present study. The main limitation is the use of only one food recall for each participant.…”

Opinion: The role of the registered dietitian nutritionist in multiple sclerosis care in the United States

“…Observational studies have linked higher diet quality to reduced prevalence of metabolic comorbidities among people with MS ( 55 , 56 ). Among people without MS, treatments provided by RDNs are effective for weight management and improving lipids, glucose, and blood pressure ( 57 – 59 ); however, no studies have specifically investigated treatment provided by RDNs among people with MS. A few preliminary dietary intervention trials report improvement in biomarkers of metabolic health ( 60 – 63 ) suggesting that treatment provided by RDNs would yield similar favorable outcomes among people with MS.…”

The BERN Framework of Mind-Body Medicine: Integrating Self-Care, Health Promotion, Resilience, and Applied Neuroscience

“…Moreover, it is not yet clear whether individual BERN or lifestyle factors can be fundamentally influenced by therapy; this remains a subject of intensive research with sometimes controversial results. At this time, there is strong evidence supporting the positive impact of exercise (E) or physical activity (e.g., Miko et al, 2020 ; Posadzki et al, 2020 ) and nutrition-related (N) interventions (e.g., Rees et al, 2013 ; Naude et al, 2017 ), such as in cardiovascular health (e.g., Casas et al, 2018 ; Fiuza-Luces et al, 2018 ), sometimes also used in combination (e.g., Nitschke et al, 2022 ). Likewise, the evidence supporting a role for primarily cognitive or psychological techniques (B) has improved significantly in recent years, despite methodological weaknesses and the substantial heterogeneity associated with this field of study (reviewed in Esch, 2002 , 2017 , 2020 ).…”