Volume 30, Issue 176, October 2026

The role of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of obesity - a review of clinical studies

Joanna Małgorzata Chrabąszcz¹, Wojciech Piotr Grzywna¹, Konstancja Baltyzar¹, Maria Kurek¹, Oliwia Polit-Różycka², Krzysztof Gadzalski², Marta Zarzycka³, Julia Lorek⁴, Karol Perski⁵, Angelika Juszczyk^6♦

¹Provincial Integrated Hospital in Kielce, ul. Grunwaldzka 45, 25-736 Kielce, Poland
²Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Rafała w Czerwonej Górze, Czerwona Góra 10, 26-060 Chęciny, Poland
³EMC Medical Institute in Wroclaw, ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 290, 51-312 Wrocław, Poland
⁴University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
⁵Dental Clinic, ul. Chrzanowska 3/75, 01-319 Warsaw, Poland
⁶St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, ul. Kościuszki 25, 25-316 Kielce, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Angelika Juszczyk, St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, ul. Kościuszki 25, 25-316 Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Obesity is described as an excess or abnormally high level of body fat which can have an adverse effect on health It is a complex chronic condition that results from the interaction of genetic susceptibility, environmental influences, energy intake and energy expenditure. The rate at which obesity is occurring has gone up all over the world and at present about one in eight people is affected. Physical activity is a vital component of both the prevention and management of obesity since it raises energy expenditure, improves general health and helps to maintain muscle mass. Aim: The purpose of this review is to bring together the existing evidence regarding the role of physical activity in avoiding and managing obesity. Methods: The review was based on scientific publications retrieved from PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Only papers published between 2014 and 2026 were considered. Conclusions: Physical activity is an important part of obesity prevention and treatment and may help reduce the risk of developing obesity. On its own, however, it is often not sufficient to produce clinically relevant weight loss. For this reason, exercise should be combined with appropriate dietary measures as part of a broader weight-management strategy.

Keywords: obesity, physical activity, prevention, treatment, weight loss

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e199ms3990

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Published: 09 October 2026