Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice
10:28

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice

Published on: May 24, 2018

Decreased energy expenditure is caused by abnormal body composition in infants with Prader-Willi Syndrome

M Tracy Bekx1, Aaron L Carrel, Timothy C Shriver

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA. mtbekx@wisc.edu

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 1, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have higher body fat and lower fat-free mass (FFM), leading to reduced energy expenditure. Energy expenditure per FFM is normal, suggesting FFM drives the lower expenditure in PWS infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolism

Background:

  • Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) infants exhibit hypotonia and underweight prior to developing obesity.
  • Understanding body composition and energy expenditure is crucial for managing PWS in infancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate body composition in infants with PWS.
  • To determine the relationship between body composition and energy expenditure in PWS infants.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed body composition using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and deuterium dilution in 16 PWS infants.
  • Measured energy expenditure via doubly labeled water and indirect calorimetry.
  • Compared findings with age-matched normative data.

Main Results:

  • PWS infants showed significantly increased percent body fat and decreased fat-free mass (FFM) compared to normal infants.
  • Total energy expenditure was significantly lower in PWS infants.
  • The relationship between FFM and total energy expenditure was normal in PWS infants.

Conclusions:

  • Infants with PWS have altered body composition (increased fat, decreased FFM) and reduced energy expenditure.
  • Lower energy expenditure in PWS infants is primarily attributed to decreased FFM.
  • Energy expenditure relative to FFM is comparable to that of infants without PWS.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice06:57

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies00:51

Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies

Organisms must balance energy intake with the energy required for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. These trade-offs result in a variety of survivorship and reproductive strategies, including semelparity and iteroparity. Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime, often investing most available resources into that single reproductive event. Iteroparous species, by contrast, reproduce multiple times over their lifetimes, typically allocating fewer resources to any single...
Overview of Protein Metabolism01:21

Overview of Protein Metabolism

Proteins are broken down into amino acids during digestion. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, which are stored for later use, proteins are not. Instead, amino acids are either used to produce ATP through oxidation or contribute to the creation of new proteins for the growth and repair of the body. Any surplus amino acids from the diet are converted into glucose or triglycerides rather than excreted.
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...
Anorexia Nervosa01:28

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Body Temperature01:25

Body Temperature

The body's temperature, measured in degrees, is determined by the balance between heat production and dissipation to the surrounding environment. For instance, if exercising vigorously, the body will produce more heat, causing sweat and dissipating that heat. Despite extreme environmental conditions and physical exertion, the human temperature-control system maintains a constant core body temperature (the temperature of deep tissues, which are the tissues located beneath the skin and other...
Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...