Overview
Regular physical activity decreases the risk of obesity; at the same time, sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of obesity. Therefore, physical activity is considered a major contributing factor for obesity and overweight.
Physical activity intervention strategies are multilevel in nature, that is they include multiple components targeting individual-level behavior change, as well as policy and environmental factors in support of active living. In addition, there are strategies addressing each level of the socioecological model including:
- individual-level behavior change (e.g., point-of-decision prompts for increasing stairwell use),
- interpersonal relationships (e.g., social support),
- organizational policies or practices (e.g., school-based physical education),
- community environments (e.g., community-wide campaigns), and
- social norms (e.g., urban planning).
For most physical activity intervention strategies, the evidence of effectiveness has been demonstrated. However, for a few strategies, the evidence is limited due either to mixed results across evaluation studies or a lack of evaluation studies conducted. In determining what strategies are most appropriate, public health practitioners should take into account a range of factors—target population, relevant health outcomes, evidence of effectiveness, and available resources.