Abstract Objective: to evaluate the trend of adults’ (≥ 20 years) occupational physical activity levels and nutritional status in Brazilian national surveys carried out over four decades. Methods: the declared data regarding main occupation was stratified in three physical activity levels (light, moderate, and heavy) according to the classifications in force when the surveys were conducted. The nutritional status was determined according to the World Health Organization classification based on the body mass index (BMI, kg.m-2) as underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal (18,5 ≤ IMC < 25) and overweight (BMI ≥ 25). All estimates were calculated using the sampling weights from the surveys. Results: the population with declared occupation increased in the period, with greater moderate physical activity levels in the 1970’s and shifting to light in the 2000’s. The prevalence of underweight decreased and of overweight increased substantially for all physical activity levels. Overweight ranged from 27.6 to 49.7% in light levels and from 12.7 to 43.3% in heavy levels. Conclusions: despite the limitations of the study (the physical activity levels were estimated by declared occupation and did not consider the development/modification of labor processes), we concluded that workers in Brazil present a positive energy balance regardless of their occupational physical activity levels.

Abstract Objective: to evaluate the trend of adults’ (≥ 20 years) occupational physical activity levels and nutritional status in Brazilian national surveys carried out over four decades. Methods: the declared data regarding main occupation was stratified in three physical activity levels (light, moderate, and heavy) according to the classifications in force when the surveys were conducted. The nutritional status was determined according to the World Health Organization classification based on the body mass index (BMI, kg.m-2) as underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal (18,5 ≤ IMC < 25) and overweight (BMI ≥ 25). All estimates were calculated using the sampling weights from the surveys. Results: the population with declared occupation increased in the period, with greater moderate physical activity levels in the 1970’s and shifting to light in the 2000’s. The prevalence of underweight decreased and of overweight increased substantially for all physical activity levels. Overweight ranged from 27.6 to 49.7% in light levels and from 12.7 to 43.3% in heavy levels. Conclusions: despite the limitations of the study (the physical activity levels were estimated by declared occupation and did not consider the development/modification of labor processes), we concluded that workers in Brazil present a positive energy balance regardless of their occupational physical activity levels.