With obesity now affecting more than 40% of U.S. adults and fueling rising rates of heart disease, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association calls for a comprehensive treatment approach that puts physical activity front and center. The statement, "Role of Physical Activity in Obesity Treatment and Cardiometabolic Health," was published in Circulation.
The statement underscores that regular physical activity improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with overweight or obesity, independent of weight loss. These findings support the need for exercise as a critical component to any weight loss strategy, including medications or surgery, because physical activity offers important cardiometabolic health benefits in its own right.
"Doctors and health professionals often focus on weight loss to help people lower their risk of heart disease. There are certainly health benefits from weight loss, especially when it's sustained long-term. However, encouraging physical activity should always be an important part of that care plan, as it can support both weight loss and long-term maintenance," said Damon L. Swift, Ph.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer and chair of the writing group for the scientific statement and an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
