Professor John Reilly

Physical Activity and Health

Personal statement

I joined the University in 2011 as John Anderson Research Leader and Professor of Physical Activity & Public Health Science. I was formerly Professor of Paediatric Energy Metabolism at the University of Glasgow.

My research work focuses on: prevention of child and adolescent obesity worldwide; the consequences of obesity and low physical activity in children and adolescents globally; the development and consequences of sedentary behaviour during childhood and adolescence globally; global monitoring of physical activity , sedentary behaviour and sleep in children and adolescents. I have been involved in a range of national and international Knowledge Exchange projects, including the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance www.activehealthykids.org, WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) https://www.who.int/end-childhood-obesity/en/ WHO Guideline Development Group on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep for the under 5’s https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664 • Chair of the UK Health Departments physical activity guidelines update for the Under 5’s https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/physical-activity-guidelines

Current Knowledge Exchange projects include:

FitBack Scotland- development of a system for national monitoring physical fitness in children and adolescents https://www.actify.org.uk/fitbackscot - Towards a Sustainable Monitoring System to Address the Physical Fitness Crisis in Scottish Children: FitBack Scotland (scottishinsight.ac.uk)

Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Cards on COVID-19 Impacts (2024; funded by the ESRC -IAA) and Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card (2026) www.activehealthykidsscotland.co.uk

Early Childhood Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep in Malawi: Impact Activities from Current Research and Co-creation of Future Research Plans with Stakeholders in Malawi. International Science Partnerships –Scottish Funding Council Funded 2024-25.

Publications

I have almost 400 peer-reviewed papers with an h index (December 2024) of 93 (Web of Science) and 103 (Google Scholar). Recent publications include the following:

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108984

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-02104-2

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2824006

https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-024-01650-2 h

https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0711.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2024.03.006

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100869

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdae022

https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0679

https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/apaq/aop/article-10.1123-apaq.2023-0131/article-10.1123-apaq.2023-0131.xml

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114523000387

https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12628

Expertise

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Area of Expertise

has expertise in:

childhood obesity: aetiology; diagnosis; prevention; treatment; consequences
objective measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour
longitudinal (birth cohort) studies, in particular with ALSPAC and GMS in the UK
systematic reviewing: evidence appraisal, and evidence - based guideline development
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions in children and adolescents

Prize And Awards

Research Excellence Award: Recipient; 2024
Research Excellence Award: Recipient; 2023

More prizes and awards

Publications

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Publications

Evaluating school-based obesity prevention interventions in 6- to 12-year-old children : a scoping review of all reported outcomes and expert consultation: Altenburg Teatske M, de Vries Lotte W, Grooten Iris J, van 't Hooft Janneke, van Deutekom Arend W, Roseboom Tessa, van den Akker Erica, Duncan Michael, Ekelund Ulf, Reilly John J, Reilly Lisa, Stafleu Annette, Standage Martyn, Chinapaw Mai J M, Harrington Deirdre M; Obesity Reviews (2026); https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.70125
Movement behaviour guidelines and prevalence in the early years: Reilly John, Bardid Farid; Movement Behaviour in the Early Years (2026) (2026)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motor competence in children and adolescents : a systematic review: Reilly John J, Glendenning Lucy, Govan Lucile; Journal of Sports Sciences Vol 44, pp. 105-116 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2555122
Enhancing fundamental motor skills through active play : a systematic review and meta-analysis of educational contexts: Ramos-Munell Javier, Gallardo-Gómez Daniel, Álvarez-Barbosa Francisco, Alfonso-Rosa Rosa M, Reilly John J, Okely Anthony, del Pozo-Cruz Borja, del Pozo-Cruz Jesús; European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 34, pp. 152-172 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293x.2025.2487929
Treasured but not measured? Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical literacy in children and adolescents: Reilly John J, Robertson Kerry, Bardid Farid; Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness Vol 24 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesf.2025.200434
The Youth Fitness International Test (YFIT) battery for monitoring and surveillance among children and adolescents: A modified Delphi consensus project with 169 experts from 50 countries and territories: Ortega Francisco B, Zhang Kai, Cadenas-Sanchez Cristina, Tremblay Mark S, Jurak Gregor, Tomkinson Grant, Ruiz Jonatan R, Keller Katja, Delisle-Nyström Christine, Sacheck Jennifer, Pate Russell, Weston Kathryn, Kidokoro Tetsu, Poon Eric, Wachira Lucy-Joy M, Ssenyonga Ronald, Queiroz Thayse Natacha, Cristi-Montero Carlos, Fraser Brooklyn J, Niessner Claudia, Onywera Vincent O, Liu Yang, Liang Li-Lin, Prince Ware Stephanie, Lubans David R, Lang Justin J, Bardid Farid, Reilly John,; Journal of Sport and Health Science Vol 14 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2024.101012

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Teaching

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Teaching

I teach on the BSc Sport & Physical Activity degree, mainly in the Physical Activity & Health classes (e.g. Sports Nutrition), and supervise students doing mini-research projects in 3^rd year and larger research dissertation projects in 4^th year.

Research

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