Association between High Levels of Physical Activity and Weight Gain

The study population included 3,554 men and women, age 18 to 30 at baseline, whose weights were followed during six follow-up visits over 20 years. Participants reported their activity levels over the previous year at each visit: high, moderate or low levels (or inconsistent activity if categories changed over time). Not surprisingly, after adjusting for multiple variables including caloric intake, participants in the high activity level group gained less weight over time than participants with lower levels of physical activity (a difference of 2.6 kg for men and 6.1 kg for women over 20 years). December 15, 2011 JAMA