Exercise as treatment for obesity

In recent times, our society has become less physically active, which undoubtedly has contributed to the increased incidence of obesity. Exercise training can reduce body weight of overweight individuals, but in many cases the changes produced are small. A combination of regular physical activity, modest caloric intake, and reduced calories from fat leads to slow but continuous weight loss and improves the potential for maintenance of weight loss. Regular physical exercise helps to prevent the development of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension in overweight individuals even if body weight is not completely normalized. Further research is needed to identify the optimal amount, type, and intensity of exercise for the maintenance of ideal body weight.