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Physical activity inversely associated with weight gain in women of normal weight

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Physical activity was associated with less weight gain in women with a BMI less than 25 who consumed a usual diet, according to new study findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Moreover, women who succeeded in maintaining normal weight averaged 60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity activity throughout the study period, researchers said.

Although a vast amount of research exists on treating overweight and obesity, little research exists on preventing weight gain. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School assessed changes in weight associated with different levels of physical activity in 34,079 healthy women (mean age, 54 years). All reported consumption of a usual diet between 1992 and 2007. Physical activity and body weight were recorded at baseline and again at years three, six, eight, 10, 12 and 13.

Exertion of metabolic equivalent (MET) hours per week was grouped as: less than 7.5, 7.5 to 21, and 21 or more MET hours.

The overall study population gained about 5.7 lb throughout the study period.

When compared with women who spent 21 or more MET hours per week, those who spent 7.5 to 21 MET hours gained 0.2 lb (P=.003) and those who spent less than 7.5 MET hours per week gained 0.3 lb (P=.002).

An inverse dose-response association was found between activity levels and weight gain among women with a BMI less than 25 (P<.001). However, no association was found for women with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 (P=.56) or among women with a BMI of 30 or more (P=.50).

Women who had a BMI of less than 25 at baseline (13.3%) gained less than 5.1 lb throughout the study period. Average overall activity level was 21.5 MET hours per week (60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity activity).

“These data suggest that the 2008 federal recommendation for 150 minutes per week, while clearly sufficient to lower the risks for chronic diseases, is insufficient for weight gain prevention absent caloric restriction,” the researchers wrote. “Physical activity was inversely related to weight gain only among normal-weight women; among heavier women, there was no relation, emphasizing the importance of controlling caloric intake for weight maintenance in this group.”

Lee IM. JAMA. 2010;303:1173-1179.

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