The Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a planning committee to organize a workshop that explored whether there is a sufficient evidence base to develop a comprehensive set of physical activity guidelines for Americans. The project was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Workshop on the Adequacy of Evidence for Physical Activity Guidelines Development was held on October 23–24, 2006 at the National Academy of Sciences Building and the Keck Center of the National Academies in Washington, DC. Agenda

The workshop involved expert research scientists and physical activity practitioners from government and academia to explore whether there is a sufficient evidence base for HHS to proceed in a more systematic way to develop a comprehensive set of physical activity guidelines for Americans. The invited workshop moderators, speakers, and discussants were asked to consider the available evidence related to physical activity and the general population, and special population subgroups including children, adolescents, young adults, pregnant and post-partum women, older adults, and persons with disabilities.

Additionally, the workshop considered specific issues of relevance in assessing the quality and breadth of the available evidence. Presenters were not asked to propose physical activity guidelines or conduct a systematic review of the evidence for a particular population or issue. The workshop was structured as a series of six plenary sessions that included a focus on the evidence related to physical activity and such issues as:

• Physical activity, health promotion, and chronic disease prevention
  • All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer
  • Bone, joint, and muscle health and performance
  • Mental and neurological health
  • Diabetes and other metabolic disorders
• Physical activity, obesity, and weight management
• Physical activity and risk—maximizing benefits
  • Risk of musculoskeletal injury
  • Cardiovascular disease and related risks
• Special considerations for children, youth, pregnant and post-partum women, and older adults
• Special considerations for persons with disabilities.

A workshop summary will be prepared and released in January 2007.

IOM Planning Committee on the Adequacy of Evidence for Physical Activity Guideline Development

William L. Haskell, Ph.D. (Chair)
Professor Emeritus of Medicine
Stanford Prevention Research Center
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA

Rodney Dishman, Ph.D.
Professor of Exercise Science and Director, Exercise Psychology Laboratory
University of Georgia
Athens, GA

Joseph E. Donnelly, Ed.D., F.A.C.S.M.
Professor and Director, Energy Balance Laboratory and
The Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management
The Schiefelbusch Institute for Lifespan Studies
The University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

Bruce H. Jones, M.D., M.P.H.
Manager, Injury Prevention Program
Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance
APG, MD 

Miriam Nelson, Ph.D.
Director, John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition
Associate Professor of Nutrition
The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Tufts University
Boston, MA

IOM Staff
Vivica Kraak, M.S., R.D.
Study Director
Institute of Medicine
Washington, DC