Physical Activity Pie: A Graphical Presentation Integrating Recommendations for Fitness and Health

In Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Roy Shephard raised an important issue on the need to develop clear physical activity messages. More recently, the editors of the Journal expressed their concern about potentially confusing physical activity recommendations presented in the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Although the main focus of the Journal must be the publication of good original studies, we share Dr. Shephard’s view that the Journal should also be a vehicle to discuss problems concerning physical activity and health, with implications for public health policy. During the last year, we at the Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (UKK) Institute for Health Promotion Research in Tampere, Finland, have been developing a new way to present a clear physical activity message for adults. The graphical presentation is meant for health professionals responsible for physical activity counseling, and secondarily for lay audiences. We have named our presentation as the “Physical Activity Pie.” This commentary describes the arguments for and rationale behind the pie. The purpose of this article is to further stimulate discussion about physical activity messages.