Physical activity patterns and prevention of weight gain in premenopausal women

BACKGROUND Studies of the association between physical activity (PA) and weight maintenance have been inconsistent. METHODS We prospectively examined the association between PA patterns and prevention of weight gain among 46,754 healthy premenopausal women, aged 25–43 years in 1989. Participants reported their PA and weight in 1989 and 1997. The primary outcome was gaining >5% of baseline weight by 1997 (62% of the population). RESULTS Compared with women who maintained