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Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight
R L Leibel1, M Rosenbaum, J Hirsch
1Laboratory of Human Behavior and Metabolism, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
The New England Journal of Medicine
|March 9, 1995
Summary
Obesity treatments struggle with long-term weight loss due to compensatory metabolic changes. This study shows that maintaining altered body weight significantly impacts energy expenditure in both obese and lean individuals.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic regulation
- Obesity research
- Energy balance
Background:
- Current obesity treatments lack sustained weight loss efficacy.
- Compensatory metabolic processes may resist weight maintenance.
- Investigating body weight perturbations on energy expenditure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how experimental body weight changes affect energy expenditure.
- To determine if metabolic changes occur with weight alteration.
- To compare responses in obese versus never-obese subjects.
Main Methods:
- Measured 24-hour total energy expenditure, resting and nonresting energy expenditure, and thermic effect of feeding.
- Studied 18 obese and 23 never-obese subjects.
- Assessed subjects at usual weight, after 10-20% weight loss, and after 10% weight gain.
Main Results:
- Maintaining reduced body weight decreased total energy expenditure (6-8 kcal/kg fat-free mass/day) in both groups.
- Weight gain increased total energy expenditure (8-9 kcal/kg fat-free mass/day) in both groups.
- Changes in energy expenditure were independent of adiposity or sex.
Conclusions:
- Altering body weight induces compensatory energy expenditure changes.
- These metabolic adaptations oppose the maintenance of a different body weight.
- Compensatory changes likely explain the poor long-term success of obesity treatments.