Association of meeting both muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise guidelines with prevalent overweight and obesity classes - results from a nationally representative sample of German adults.

OBJECTIVES: German national physical activity guidelines specify adults (≥18 years) should engage in at least: (i) 150 min of aerobic moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity/week (MVPA); and (ii) muscle-strengthening exercise (MSE) 2 days/week. However, the relationship between MVPA and MSE and overweight/obesity has not been examined among German adults. Aim of this study was to examine whether meeting the guidelines for both MVPA and MSE is associated with a lower prevalence of overweight/obesity compared to meeting MVPA or MSE alone or none of them, among a nationally representative sample of German adults. METHODS: The cross-sectional study drew data from the 2014 German Health Update (GEDA) (n=22,822; ≥18 years). Physical activity (MVPA-MSE), height/weight, socio-demographic, health and lifestyle factors were assessed by self-report via validated questionnaires. Generalized linear models with Poisson regression were used to assess prevalence ratios of Body Mass Index-derived (BMI) overweight/obesity across categories of physical activity guideline adherence (met neither; MSE only; MVPA only; met both). RESULTS: Compared to other physical activity groups, meeting both the MVPA-MSE guidelines was associated with the lowest prevalence rate of overweight/obesity (Adjusted Prevalence Ratios [APR] range: 0.25-0.73). Associations between BMI and physical activity were strongest among Class II obesity (APR range: 0.25-0.45). The associations remained consistent after adjusting sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. CONCLUSIONS: Meeting the combined MVPA-MSE guideline, as suggested in the German national physical activity recommendations, showed the lowest overweight/obesity prevalence. Promoting uptake and adherence of both MVPA and MSE at the population level could help to reduce the public health burden of obesity.Highlights Meeting both muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise guidelines show the lowest overweight/obesity prevalence in a German representative sample of adults. Promoting uptake and adherence of both MVPA and MSE at the population level could help to reduce the public health burden of obesity.

The relationship between physical activity, fitness, physical complaints and BMI in German adults - results of a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: This study's aims were to describe the development of physical activity, physical fitness (PF), subjective (physical complaints (PC)) and objective (Body mass index (BMI)) health measures and to examine the relationship between the development trajectories. In addition, the study also aimed to assess the influence of sociodemographic determinants (age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES)) in German adults over a period of 18 years. METHODS: The longitudinal study population comprises of 721 men and women, aged 33-76 years over the study period. There was self-report of physical activity and PC and testing of physical fitness and BMI in each study year (1992, 1997, 2002 and 2010). Latent growth curve models were used to analyse the development. RESULTS: Physical activity slightly increased while fitness, PC and BMI worsened over the course of 18 years. Sex, age and SES play important roles concerning physical activity, fitness and health. Several integrative associations could be detected between physical activity, fitness, PC and BMI as well as their trajectories. In particular, high initial levels of physical activity and fitness protect from high PC and BMI.The slope of physical activity was not significantly associated with slopes of fitness, PC and BMI. However, increase of fitness resulted in decrease of PC. CONCLUSIONS: A general positive development regarding the amount of physical activity could be detected. However, if it is only an unsystematic increase of physical activity, this is not in itself enough to achieve health benefits. The strengthening of fitness should be focused when increasing physical activity, since only then a health benefit is possible.