Fruits, vegetables and physical activity: key components of a healthy lifestyle
Editorial
Engaging in regular physical activity is essential for health and wellbeing throughout life. It contributes to reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and provided benefits for cardiovascular and metabolic health, cancer prevention or mental health (Lee et al., 2012; Singh et al., 2023; WHO, 2024). However, insufficient physical activity remains widespread: 31% and 80% of adults and adolescents, respectively, do not meet the recommended level of physical activity (WHO, 2024).
Beyond its direct health benefits, physical activity is also intertwined with other lifestyle behaviours. Regular physical activity has been associated with improved appetite control (Beaulieu, 2016) and healthier dietary habits in several studies (Joo et al., 2019, Thivel et al., 2019). Therefore, physical activity and diet are both modifiable determinants of health but also interconnected behaviours that may positively influence each other.
As fruits and vegetables are essential components of a healthy diet, this issue of GFVN explores the relationships between physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption.
The first article by Antunes and al. (2025) explores whether child eating habits vary according to parental physical activity. Overall, dietary associations were more consistent between mothers and children than between fathers and children. Healthy eating habits, including fruit and vegetable consumption, tended to be more strongly shared between physically active mothers and their children, although results varied according to the domain of physical activity considered. These findings suggest that physical activity and healthy eating habits may be closely linked with the family environment.
In the second article, Liu et al. (2026) explore the associations between regular physical activity, fruit and vegetables intake and mental health among Chinese college students. Physical activity was positively associated with fruit and vegetables intake, which the authors suggest could partly reflect a broader health-oriented identity. Both behaviours were also associated with better mental health, with the findings suggesting a pathway linking physical activity to higher self-esteem, fewer depressive symptoms and, ultimately, more frequent fruit and vegetable consumption.
The last study by Sjöblom et al. (2023) evaluated a 12-week smartphone-based intervention promoting daily physical activity, with no dietary component, in people with type 2 diabetes. Among women, the intervention was associated with a higher combined fruit and vegetable intake, mainly driven by fruit intake, while no effect was observed in men. These findings illustrate a potential transfer effect, whereby targeting one health behaviour may facilitate changes in another.
Taken together, these studies highlight the interconnections between physical activity and fruit and vegetables consumption as part of a broader healthy lifestyle. This is consistent with the 24-hour movement guidelines approach, integrating physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep, with greater adherence associated with healthier eating behaviours both for children and adults (Fournier et al., 2023). Promoting these behaviours together may therefore provide complementary benefits for health and well-being.
Kristine Beaulieu, RD, PhD, is a Registered Dietitian and researcher specializing in lifestyle behaviours, appetite control, and obesity. She holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Appetite Control from the University of Leeds (UK) and completed postdoctoral training at both the University of Leeds and Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen (Denmark), where she remains affiliated.
Her research examines how diet, physical activity, sleep, and their timing interact to influence appetite control and energy balance, with a focus on obesity prevention and management.
Kristine recently joined the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick at the Université de Moncton (Canada), where she is establishing her research program and training the next generation of health professionals and researchers.