Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Objectives To describe new WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Methods The guidelines were developed in accordance with WHO protocols. An expert Guideline Development Group reviewed evidence to assess associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviour for an agreed set of health outcomes and population groups. The assessment used and systematically updated recent relevant systematic reviews; new primary reviews addressed additional health outcomes or subpopulations. Results The new guidelines address children, adolescents, adults, older adults and include new specific recommendations for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. All adults should undertake 150–300 min of moderate-intensity, or 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or some equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, per week. Among children and adolescents, an average of 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity across the week provides health benefits. The guidelines recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity for all age groups. Additionally, reducing sedentary behaviours is recommended across all age groups and abilities, although evidence was insufficient to quantify a sedentary behaviour threshold. Conclusion These 2020 WHO guidelines update previous WHO recommendations released in 2010. They reaffirm messages that some physical activity is better than none, that more physical activity is better for optimal health outcomes and provide a new recommendation on reducing sedentary behaviours. These guidelines highlight the importance of regularly undertaking both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities and for the first time, there are specific recommendations for specific populations including for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. These guidelines should be used to inform national health policies aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 and to strengthen surveillance systems that track progress towards national and global targets.

Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence

The primary purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate the current literature and to provide further insight into the role physical inactivity plays in the development of chronic disease and premature death. We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death. We also reveal that the current Health Canada physical activity guidelines are sufficient to elicit health benefits, especially in previously sedentary people. There appears to be a linear relation between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead to additional improvements in health status.

Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing

Adolescence and the social determinants of health

Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity

Influence of Health Education and Healthy Lifestyle on Students' Academic Achievement in Biology in Nigeria

The positive effects of health education and healthy lifestyle on adolescent academic achievement cannot be over emphasized as learning experiences to help students accurately assess the level of risk-taking behaviour among their peers, emphasis on the value of good health that reinforces health-enhancing attitudes and beliefs are paramount. Little effort had been made by researchers to examine the influence of health education and healthy lifestyle on students' academic achievement. This study examined the influence of health education and healthy lifestyle on students' academic achievement in Biology. Seven hundred and twenty (720) students of both sexes participated in the study. Three instruments used in the study are Health Education Efficiency Questionnaire (α=0.89), Adolescent Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire (α=0.94) and Biology Achievement Test (r=0.88). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics of Multiple Regression at p<0.05. The result showed that three independent variables were found to have significant relative prediction on students' achievement. Health Education, β = -0.097, t (715) = 2.102, p<0.05, Risk Behaviour, β = 0.011, t (715) = 0.241, p<0.05 and Value for good Health, β = -0.138, t (715), = 3.843, p<0.05. It is therefore recommended that health education should be made mandatory for all students in the secondary school to enable them form and develop a healthy lifestyle