Nutrition & Sports

      Physical activity recommended in the United States relies on a weekly practice of 150 minutes of a medium intensity endurance type activity or at least 75 minutes of a high intensity  endurance type activity or a combination of both corresponding to an equivalent activity level. In addition to that it is recommended to practice muscular reinforcement twice a week.

Recommendations may vary in other countries. For instance in France, 30 minutes a day of speed walking are recommended under the country's National Health Nutrition Program. All of these guidelines are aimed at preventing common chronic pathologies which can  potentially be lethal such as cardio-vascular diseases and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. As regards their impact on weight:
 

There is no consensus concerning the level of physical activity needed to prevent weight gain in our population.

The physical activity levels previously recommended help to stay in good health generally speaking including for those of our fellow citizens subject to excess weight or obesity. It should however be noted that some individuals may find these recommendations to be insufficient to maintain their weight. In this case,  energy intake will have to be reduced and routine physical activity increased in order to stabilize weight in the long run.

We are all unequal. It will take less effort for some people to maintain their weight than for others.

 

It may appear obvious that an active person will have less risk to put on weight than a less active one but it is actualy difficult to demonstrate. We currently lack scientific studies to back this strong presumption. As a result there is no consensus concerning precise recommendations to limit sedentarity.