Physical Activity

Twenty-three RCT articles were reviewed for the effect of physical activity on weight loss, body fat distribution (abdominal fat), and fitness level; of these, 13 were accepted and 10 were not considered. The 23 RCTs were (346, 363, 365, 369, 375, 401, 404, 406, 432, 434, 445-447, 474, 475, 678, 685, 700, 705, 707, 725-727): Of the 23 RCTs, 11 were conducted on overweight or obese populations with an average body mass index >25 kg/m² (346, 365, 369, 401, 434, 445-447, 685, 700, 725). Four RCTs were conducted on an overweight or obese population with an average weight of 120 percent to 160 percent of ideal body weight (363, 406, 432, 475). One RCT was conducted on obese or overweight populations with a percent of body fat >25 for men or >30 for women (678).

Nine RCT articles presented results on men (363, 365, 369, 406, 432, 700, 705, 707, 726), six RCTs were conducted on women (434, 445, 446, 678, 685, 725), and seven RCTs covered both men and women (346, 401, 404, 447, 474, 475, 727). One RCT article included hypertensive individuals (346), three RCTs included people with type 2 diabetes (404, 446, 474), and one RCT included individuals with hyperlipidemia (685).

Ten RCT articles were not included because:

• The population at baseline was not overweight (705, 727), or it was not clear whether the population was overweight (707, 726);
• The intervention period was less than 12 weeks (474);
• There was no appropriate control group (475, 678, 700, 725); and
• The dropout rate was more than 35 percent (685).