Exercise and Obesity: The role of exercise in prevention, weight loss, and maintenance of weight loss

ABSTRACT The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity rates poses a public health threat and is a mandate for nurse practitioners to address this challenge in clinical practice. Exercise plays an essential role in prevention, initial weight loss, and maintenance of weight loss and recommendations for physical activity differ for each category. Intensity of exercise, duration, and effectiveness of various types of physical activity are reviewed. Possible reasons why exercise-focused weight loss goals are not attained are also explored. Nurse practitioners are assuming an increasingly important role in combating the obesity epidemic and can make a positive impact by implementing effective, evidence-based, exercise-focused strategies for prevention, initial weight loss, and maintenance of weight loss.