Research
Energy balance
Physical education classes in their current format do not reduce or prevent childhood obesity.
Do not rely on standard school PE to prevent obesity. It is generally ineffective. To impact weight, physical activity must be substantial in quantity, intensity, and duration, which current PE formats rarely achieve.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Physical education, as typically provided, has not been shown to reduce or prevent obesity.
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and RCTs.
Source
Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity
Krista Casazza et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2013
DOI 10.1056/nejmsa1208051
narrative_reviewCited 438×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Small sustained changes in energy intake or expenditure do not produce large, long-term weight changes as predicted by the 3500-kcal rule due to physiological compensation.Strong
- Breast-feeding does not have important antiobesity effects in children.Strong
- Rapid and large initial weight loss is associated with better long-term weight maintenance compared to slow, gradual weight loss.Good
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →