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Summary
Obese individuals have higher metabolic rates, contrary to the idea that they start with a low metabolic rate. Increased body fat directly correlates with a higher resting metabolic rate in women.
Area of Science:
- Human Physiology
- Metabolic Studies
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Obesity is often associated with higher metabolic rates compared to lean individuals.
- A prevailing hypothesis suggested that individuals predisposed to obesity initially possess a low metabolic rate, which increases as they gain lean tissue during weight gain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between resting metabolic rate and body fat percentage.
- To test the hypothesis that pre-obese individuals have a low metabolic rate that increases with lean tissue gain.
Main Methods:
- Resting metabolic rate was measured in 104 women.
- Body fat percentage ranged from 6% to 60%.
- Analysis focused on the correlation between resting metabolic rate and percentage fat, while keeping fat-free mass constant.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was observed between higher percentage fat and increased metabolic rate.
- The data challenges the notion that a high metabolic rate is solely acquired through lean tissue accumulation during obesity.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that increased body fat, not just lean tissue, contributes to a higher metabolic rate.
- It is unlikely that individuals who are now obese with a high metabolic rate relative to their fat-free mass, were previously characterized by a low metabolic rate.