HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Weinsier, R. L Articles by Darnell, B. E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Weinsier, R. L Articles by Darnell, B. E Agricola Articles by Weinsier, R. L Articles by Darnell, B. E

Physical activity in free-living, overweight white and black women: divergent responses by race to diet-induced weight loss^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Nutrition Sciences (RLW and PAZ) and the Department of Human Studies (GRH), the General Clinical Research Center (BED), and the Clinical Nutrition Research Center (RLW and GRH), University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Institute of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland (YS).

Background: Black women are at greater risk of obesity than are white women, perhaps because of their lower levels of physical activity.

Objective: We compared free-living activity energy expenditure (AEE) in sedentary white and black women (in overweight and normal-weight states) and in never-overweight control subjects.

Design: Subjects included 46 women (23 white, 23 black) studied while overweight and after reaching a normal weight and 38 female control subjects (23 white, 15 black). Diet, without exercise training, resulted in a mean weight loss of 13 kg and a body mass index (in kg/m²) < 25. Body composition, sleeping energy expenditure, free-living total energy expenditure, and the energy cost of activity and aerobic capacity were assessed before and after weight loss under 4-wk, diet-controlled, weight-stable conditions and in the control subjects. AEE was defined as above-sleep energy expenditure.

Results: No significant racial differences in body composition, before or after weight loss, were found. After weight loss, AEE and aerobic capacity increased in the white women and decreased in the black women (P < 0.05 and P < 0.02, respectively). After weight loss, but not before, the white women had a significantly higher mean AEE than did the black women (2448 ± 979 and 1728 ± 1373 kJ/d, respectively; P < 0.05), approximating AEEs in the white (2314 ± 1105) and black (2310 ± 1251) control subjects.

Conclusions: Relative to the responses of the white women to diet-induced weight loss, the black women became less fit and less physically active. Induction of a normal body weight in overweight black women appeared to produce a more obesity-prone state, favoring weight relapse.

Key Words: Overweight • obesity • weight loss • body composition • energy expenditure • energy economy • physical activity • exercise • African American women

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Gasteyger, T. M. Larsen, F. Vercruysse, and A. Astrup Effect of a dietary-induced weight loss on liver enzymes in obese subjects Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2008; 87(5): 1141 - 1147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N Hoggard, D V Rayner, S L Johnston, and J R Speakman Peripherally administered [Nle4,D-Phe7]-{alpha}-melanocyte stimulating hormone increases resting metabolic rate, while peripheral agouti-related protein has no effect, in wild type C57BL/6 and ob/ob mice J. Mol. Endocrinol., December 1, 2004; 33(3): 693 - 703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C Walsh, G. R Hunter, B. Sirikul, and B. A Gower Comparison of self-reported with objectively assessed energy expenditure in black and white women before and after weight loss Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2004; 79(6): 1013 - 1019. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]