Physical activity does not influence obesity risk: time to clarify the public health message

Aims and methodTo determine whether members of the general public read a leaflet from the Time to Change anti-stigma campaign. The leaflets were sent to 1000 members of the public at random. Those who read the leaflet were asked, in a statement concealed within the text, to return it. A second study involved modified leaflets being posted to 400 members of a representative panel of the UK general public.ResultsOnly 20 of the 1000 (2%) people who received the unsolicited leaflet returned them, which suggests that the vast majority were unread. However, the leaflet achieved a good response in the sample from the research panel with at least 29% of participants (115 of 400) reading the leaflet.Clinical implicationsA very small proportion of people acknowledge unsolicited leaflets. However, the leaflet was read by almost a third of a research panel. Hence, few people are likely to read unsolicited leaflets, including those containing a public health message.

Download Full-text

Tackling overweight and obesity: does the public health message match the science?

BMC Medicine ◽

10.1186/1741-7015-11-41 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Katherine Hafekost ◽

David Lawrence ◽

Francis Mitrou ◽

Therese A O'Sullivan ◽

Stephen R Zubrick

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Health Message ◽

The Public ◽

Public Health Message

Download Full-text

Step Rate Thresholds Associated with Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity in Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15112454 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 2454 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Myles O’Brien ◽

Matthew Kivell ◽

William Wojcik ◽

Ghislain d’Entremont ◽

Derek Kimmerly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Mathematical Modelling ◽

Mathematical Models ◽

Indirect Calorimetry ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

The Public ◽

Step Rate ◽

Public Health Message ◽

Public Message

Adults are recommended to engage in 150 min of moderate (MPA) to vigorous (VPA) aerobic physical activity per week, with the public health message of obtaining 3000 steps in 30 min. There is a paucity of research on step rate thresholds that correspond to absolute MVPA (moderate = 3 METs, vigorous = 6 METs) with no research evaluating adult relative MVPA (moderate = 40% VO2max, vigorous = 60% VO2max). Anthropometric differences also influence intensity-related step rate thresholds. The purpose of this study was to identify step rates across a range of walking intensities so that mathematical models incorporating anthropometric factors could be used to identify individualized MVPA step rate thresholds. Forty-three adults (25♀; age = 39.4 ± 15.2 years) completed a staged treadmill walking protocol with pedometers and indirect calorimetry: six-minutes at 2.4, 3.2, 4.0, 5.6, 6.4, 7.2 km/h. Mathematical modelling revealed absolute and relative MPA step rate thresholds of ~100 steps/minute (spm) and ~125 spm, respectively. VPA corresponded to step rates of ~133 spm and ~139 spm for absolute and relative thresholds respectively. The current public message of 3000 steps in 30 min is valid for absolute MPA. However, VPA is achieved at higher thresholds than previously reported, more than 130 spm for healthy adults.

Download Full-text