Poster Presentation Australian Society for Medical Research Annual Scientific Meeting 2016

Physical activity as a therapy for weight loss maintenance (#128)

Alicia Fuchs 1 , Hayley M O'Neill 1 , Nuala M Byrne 1
  1. Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia

Insufficient physical activity is a major factor contributing to the obesity epidemic. Currently, there are no clear well defined physical activity recommendations for successful long term weight loss maintenance. However, people who maintain body weight following weight loss are more likely to engage in regular physical activity. Specifically, there is a dose response relationship between time spent in physical activity and weight regain with evidence supporting >250 min/week of moderate intensity physical activity enhance prevention of weight regain. However, few studies address the effect of mode, intensity, frequency and duration of physical activity on weight loss, weight loss maintenance and weight regain after a dietary induced weight loss intervention. Hence, making it difficult for clinicians and the wider community to prescribe optimal physical activity programs for weight maintenance; assisting in helping to reduce obesity rates. Such as, the aim of this study is to identify the relationship between physical activity patterns on body mass and body composition in women 3 and 6 months after completing a low calorie diet intervention. Therefore, 35 overweight and obese women will be recruited from the NHMRC funded MATADOR2 clinical trial. Participants will complete 2 week follow up testing phases at weeks 0, 12 and 24 following a dietary restriction intervention. Time spent at selected activity count cut points will be collected using triaxial accelerometers during each testing phase. 24 hr diet recalls will be used as a measure of assessing dietary intake. Anthropometric measures will include height and weight and body composition will be determined by the 4-compartment model using air-displacement plethysmography, bioelectrical impedance and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The proposed research aims to better understand the relationship between physical activity patterns on weight change in participants recently completing a dietary energy restriction intervention.