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Updated: May 29, 2026

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
Published on: November 11, 2021
Resting Energy Expenditure in Anorexia Nervosa: Measured versus Estimated
Marwan El Ghoch1, Marta Alberti, Carlo Capelli
1Department of Eating Disorder and Obesity, Villa Garda Hospital, Via Montebaldo, 89, 37016 Garda (VR), Italy.
Abstract:
Introduction. Aim of this study was to compare the resting energy expenditure (REE) measured by the Douglas bag method with the REE estimated with the FitMate method, the Harris-Benedict equation, and the Müller et al. equation for individuals with BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2) in a severe group of underweight patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Methods. 15 subjects with AN participated in the study. The Douglas bag method and the FitMate method were used to measure REE and the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to assess body composition after one day of refeeding. Results. FitMate method and the Müller et al. equation gave an accurate REE estimation, while the Harris-Benedict equation overestimated the REE when compared with the Douglas bag method. Conclusion. The data support the use of the FitMate method and the Müller et al. equation, but not the Harris-Benedict equation, to estimate REE in AN patients after short-term refeeding.
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