Research

Energy balance

A threshold of physical activity exists below which it is physiologically difficult to maintain energy balance at a healthy body weight, leading to gradual weight gain in the general population.

If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight despite eating reasonably, your activity level might be too low to allow your body to balance energy intake easily. Increasing your daily movement (e.g., 15-30 minutes of moderate activity) may help raise your energy expenditure to a point where maintaining a healthy weight is physiologically easier.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The increasing prevalence of obesity may reflect the fact that the majority of the population has fallen below such a level of physical activity.
James O. Hill et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2005

Why this rating

Based on theoretical models and epidemiological correlations; randomized trials are explicitly noted as lacking.

Source

Role of physical activity in preventing and treating obesity

James O. Hill et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2005

DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.00137.2005

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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