But here’s the dismal truth: whether physical activity increases or decreases, it has virtually no relationship to the prevalence of obesity. Increasing exercise did not reduce obesity. It was irrelevant. Certain states exercised more. Other states exercised less. Obesity increased by the same amount regardless. Is exercise important in reducing childhood obesity? The short answer is no. A 2013 paper5 compared the physical activity (measured using accelerometry) of children aged three to five years to their weight. The authors concluded there is no association between activity and obesity.
