First Edition
by Thomas W. Rowland (Author)
The benefits of a healthy
lifestyle are well documented, yet many people continue to struggle with
sedentary behavior and obesity. In Biologic Regulation of Physical Activity,
Dr. Thomas W. Rowland posits a distinct possibility of the existence of
a central biologic controller of activity. If harnessed, this mechanism
could lead to breakthroughs in health science professionals’ quest for
more effective ways of helping people be more active and, as a result,
healthier.
Rowland is one of the most well-respected pediatric
cardiologists in the United States. He has authored three other books
and more than 150 journal articles and has served in several key
national leadership positions in pediatric medicine. In Biologic Regulation of Physical Activity,
Rowland uses his expertise, along with numerous references and direct
quotes from expert witnesses, to provide a detailed account of how
current research may support the existence of a biologic regulator—a
mechanism in the brain that involuntarily controls biological
processes—associated with physical activity. Rowland proposes a possible
mechanism for such a control and explores the implications of this
theory. This developing area of research and theory offers a new lens
through which health professionals and those who research issues related
to obesity, physical activity adherence, and sedentary behaviors can
view their work.
The book moves methodically through the
research, rationale, and implications of a biologic regulator of
physical activity. In part I, Surveying the Evidence, readers are guided
through a litany of research—both on humans and on animals—that
provides support for the existence of a biologic regulator. This section
synthesizes evidence from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering
research on topics such as behavioral disorders, brain damage, lifetime
activity patterns, and sex differences.
Part II, Rationale and
Mechanisms details the possible biologic explanation for control of
energy output through activity and proposes a mechanism by which it
might function in order to maintain an energy in–energy out balance. The
hypothesis presented in this section is that the body has a need for
energy balance that leads to activity regulation, similar to how the
body regulates appetite.
In part III, Implications of Biologic
Regulation of Activity, some clear implications from current research,
which may help health science professionals in their treatment and
prevention efforts against patients’ obesity and inactivity, are
discussed. Rowland also poses some critical questions for further
research, if indeed a biologic controller of activity exists, such as
how much effect a biologic controller might have on activity level as
compared to environmental factors and whether this biologic regulator
could be altered.
This book will initiate further discussion,
examination, and research into the idea that physical activity may be,
at least in part, controlled by a central biologic regulator. Further
study may lead to a widespread realization that there is an involuntary
biologic regulator of activity that, once fully understood, could lead
researchers to discover alternative interventions in the fight against
inactivity and obesity.
