The importance of daily life activities in managing obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a study using physical activity records.

Background: Physical activity, including non-exercise activities, is important in the management of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate lifestyle factors associated with obesity using detailed measures of physical activity in patients with T2DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 96 outpatients with T2DM (male, 61.5%; median age, 69.5 years). Outpatients self-reported their 24-h physical activity over a period of seven days. In this measure, participants selected one of the various listed activities every 15 min. Obesity indicators were defined by measuring the percent body fat (PBF) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR); if both exceeded the cutoff values, patients were classified as PBF(+)WHR(+). The association between this outcome measure and physical activity was analyzed. Results: In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, total physical activities (odds ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.90) and daily life activities (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.77-0.96) were each significantly associated with PBF(+)WHR(+). In addition, the results of the analyses of each sub-item of the daily life activities of showed that 'sedentary activities' (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03-1.38) and 'standing with some walking' (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.67-1.00) were each significantly associated with PBF(+)WHR(+). Conclusion: In patients with T2DM, obesity is associated with physical activity, including non-exercise activities, sedentary behavior, and daily activities involving standing and walking. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-025-00848-4.