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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
Published on: November 11, 2021
Do the obese have lower body temperatures? A new look at a forgotten variable in energy balance
Lewis Landsberg1, James B Young, William R Leonard
1Northwestern University Comprehensive Center on Obesity, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive, Rubloff Suite 9-976, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. l-landsberg@northwestern.edu
Abstract:
Understanding the pathogenesis of obesity is now more important than ever, given the remarkable world-wide epidemic. This paper explores the potential role of core temperature in energy balance, and develops the hypothesis that basal temperature and changes in the temperature response in various situations contribute to the enhanced metabolic efficiency of the obese state. The argument is based on the important contribution that heat production makes in establishing the basal or resting metabolic rate, as well as on an analysis of the adaptive role played by changes in temperature in response to environmental challenge. If this hypothesis is validated, new therapeutic approaches may ensue.
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Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Body Temperature
Factors may include:
Energy Balance
Decreased Body Temperature
Obesity
Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature
Metabolic Rate
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) measures the energy expended at rest.
Several factors influence the...