About this Research Topic

Background

Physical activity (PA) refers to any physical activity produced by the skeletal muscles that consume energy. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the first sign of health at the community level is physical activity. It is clear that PA plays a crucial role in social and physical development. In addition, PA has been used to maintain weight loss and weight gain and provides physical, social, emotional, and cognitive benefits. On the other hand, governments have also recognized the large-scale negative impacts of physical inactivity on health-related problems worldwide. In developing and developed countries, chronic health conditions and non-communication diseases, such as obesity, are mainly associated with physical inactivity and unhealthy diet.

Globally, hypertension, hyperglycemia, smoking, and obesity are the major causes of death. Obesity is considered to be the primary cause of many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and stroke. Obesity is a complex disease involving excess body fat, which has a lack of physical exercise as one of the main causes. Promoting physical activity and a healthy diet as a preventive measure against obesity (one of the mortal NCDs) is therefore crucial in promoting active and healthy living.

The Research Topic will focus on how to control such deaths by introducing the prevention measures of obesity, in this case, physical activity and a healthy diet by using strategies and tactics which encourage youth and families to be physically active indoors and outdoors such as: partnering with the government, community organizations and businesses to fund and support practices and policies to maintain the infrastructure of community recreation, fitness, and parks facilities and spaces, increase access to existing community facilities and properties, such as schools, hospitals, businesses, and community organizations, through shared use or unrestricted use policies and agreements, increased operating hours, and affordable user fees and scholarships, and adopt strategies that improve safety and security of community recreation, fitness, and park facilities (especially in low-resource, geographically isolated and high-crime communities), including lighting, design features, and community policing. Finally, by making people aware of the side effects of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet of highly-processed items such as fast foods and snack food, and sugar cereals.

The topic aims to explore the importance of physical activity in preventing obesity, to highlight the benefits of active and healthy living, and how it can be promoted in society. It includes identifying the barriers to physical activity, understanding the benefits of physical activity, and exploring various strategies for promoting physical activity and a healthy diet as a preventive measure. In addition, it will also enhance health education and significantly contribute towards healthy and active living while adopting physical activity as a preventive measure of obesity.

This Research Topic aims to gather research regarding overcoming the issue of obesity with physical activity and a healthy diet. We welcome papers on topics including, but not limited to:
• Lifestyle interventions relating to the treatment and prevention of obesity
• The impact of combined nutritional and physical inactivity on rising obesity
• Enhancing physical activity programs, both at home and outdoors.
• Personalized nutritional and healthy lifestyle counseling which can keep away from obesity.

Keywords: Public health, obesity, Physical activity, healthy diet, healthy body and mind, Physical education, fitness policies, health literacy, health behavior

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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