Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Objective quantification of physical activity in bariatric surgery candidates and normal-weight controls
Dale S Bond1, John M Jakicic, Sivamainthan Vithiananthan
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital/Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA. dbond@lifespan.org
Summary
Bariatric surgery candidates exhibit significantly lower physical activity (PA) levels than normal-weight individuals. Most candidates fail to meet recommended PA guidelines for health benefits.
Area of Science:
- Obesity research
- Bariatric surgery outcomes
- Physical activity and health
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for weight management and recommended for bariatric surgery patients.
- Objective data on preoperative PA in bariatric candidates is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively measure and compare physical activity levels in bariatric surgery candidates versus normal-weight controls.
- To assess adherence to national PA recommendations in these groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized RT3 tri-axial accelerometers to monitor activity in 38 bariatric candidates and 20 controls.
- Measured activity counts, minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and vigorous PA.
- Assessed compliance with accumulating 150 min/wk of MVPA in bouts of ≥10 minutes.
Main Results:
- Bariatric candidates showed significantly lower activity counts and daily MVPA compared to controls (26.4 vs 52.4 min/d).
- Vigorous PA was minimal in candidates (1.2 min/d vs 11.8 min/d).
- 68% of candidates, versus 13% of controls, had no MVPA bouts of ≥10 minutes; only 4.5% of candidates met weekly MVPA recommendations.
Conclusions:
- Bariatric surgery candidates demonstrate substantially reduced physical activity levels.
- Candidates rarely achieve PA duration and intensity necessary for health maintenance.
- Further research is required to develop effective strategies for increasing PA in this population.
