British Journal of Nutrition
- British Journal of Nutrition (2009), 101 : pp 474-477
- Copyright © The Authors 2008
- DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508020357 (About DOI)
- Published online: 19 August 2008
Short Communication
Grade of adiposity affects the impact of fat mass on resting energy expenditure in women
Anja Bosy-Westphala1 c1, Manfred J. Müllera1, Michael Boschmanna2, Susanne Klausa3, Georg Kreymanna4, Petra M. Lührmanna5, Monika Neuhäuser-Bertholda5, Rudolf Noacka3, Karl M. Pirkea6, Petra Plattea7, Oliver Selberga8 and Jochen Steinigera9
a1 Institut für Humanernährung und Lebensmittelkunde, Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 17-19, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
a2 Charité Campus Buch, Franz-Volhard-Centrum für Klinische Forschung, D-13122 Berlin, Germany
a3 Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung, Abteilung Biochemie und Physiologie der Ernährung, D-14558 Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
a4 Medizinische Klinik, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
a5 Institut für Ernährungswissenschaft, Justus-Liebig-Universität, D-35390 Giessen, Germany
a6 Forschungszentrum für Psychobiologie und Psychosomatik, Universität Trier, D-54286 Trier, Germany
a7 Biologische und Klinische Psychologie, D-97070 Universität Würzburg, Germany
a8 Institut für Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Städtisches Klinikum, D-38114 Braunschweig, Germany
a9 Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Herbert-Krauß-Klinik, D-13122 Berlin, Germany
Abstract
Body fat mass (FM) adds to the variance in resting energy expenditure (REE). However, the nature and extent of this relationship remains unclear. Using a database of 1306 women and a linear regression model, we systematically analysed the contribution of FM to the total variance in REE at different grades of adiposity (ranges of body %FM). After adjusting for age, the relative contribution of FM on REE variance increased from low ( ≤ 10 %FM) to normal (>10– ≤ 30 %FM) and moderately elevated (>30– ≤ 40 %FM) grades of adiposity but decreased sharply at high (>40– ≤ 50 %FM) and very high (>50 %FM) grades of adiposity according to the ratio between regression coefficients. These data suggest that the specific metabolic rate of fat tissue is reduced at high adiposity. This should be considered when REE is normalized for FM in obesity.
(Received January 07 2008)
(Revised March 27 2008)
(Accepted May 20 2008)
(Online publication August 19 2008)
Key Words:
Correspondence:
c1 Corresponding author: Dr Anja Bosy-Westphal, fax +49 0431 8805679, email abosyw@nutrfoodsc.uni-kiel.de
Footnotes
Abbreviations: FFM, fat-free mass; FM, fat mass; REE, resting energy expenditure
