155 2010 R. Tait McKenzie Memorial Lecture: Guiding the Public About Physical Activity and Health—Key Themes and Messages

In the 1990’s, countries around the world began to issue guidance to the public about physical activity and health. The guidance was consistent and focused on the substantial health benefits of a medium amount of activity. By 2009, growth in knowledge about physical activity led to expanded and updated guidelines, such as the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. However, differences have begun to emerge among guidelines. In this presentation, Dr. David Buchner of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and chairman of the writing group for the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will provide examples of the differences, organize them into themes, and comment on their importance. The themes are: (1) we have not yet reconciled the relative importance of total activity-related energy expenditure versus the intensity of aerobic activity to health benefits; (2) guidelines differ in the way public health science is integrated with exercise science; and (3) the philosophy behind public health guidelines varies, e.g., in whether a medium or high amount of activity is emphasized, in how evidence is processed and interpreted, and in the role of expert panels. Differences among guidelines vary in importance—only a few affect key messages to the public. So far, all guidelines continue to affirm that a medium amount of moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity provides substantial health benefits. This session will also include the induction of new Fellows of the North American Society of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance Professionals.