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 Swinburn, B. A Articles by Ravussin, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Swinburn, B. A Articles by Ravussin, E. Agricola Articles by Swinburn, B. A Articles by Ravussin, E.

Estimating the effects of energy imbalance on changes in body weight in children ^1,2,3

¹ From the Schools of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (BAS and PJK) and of Health and Social Development (DJ), Deakin University, Burwood, Australia; the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ (ADS); and Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA (ER)

Background: Estimating changes in weight from changes in energy balance is important for predicting the effect of obesity prevention interventions.

Objective: The objective was to develop and validate an equation for predicting the mean weight of a population of children in response to a change in total energy intake (TEI) or total energy expenditure (TEE).

Design: In 963 children with a mean (±SD) age of 8.1 ± 2.8 y (range: 4–18 y) and weight of 31.5 ± 17.6 kg, TEE was measured by using doubly labeled water. Log weight (dependent variable) and log TEE (independent variable) were analyzed in a linear regression model with height, age, and sex as covariates. It was assumed that points of dynamic balance, called "settling points," occur for populations wherein energy is in balance (TEE = TEI), weight is stable (ignoring growth), and energy flux (EnFlux) equals TEE.

Results: TEE (or EnFlux) explained 74% of the variance in weight. The unstandardized regression coefficient was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.51; R² = 0.86) after including covariates. Conversion into proportional changes (time₁ to time₂) gave the equation (weight₂/weight₁) = (EnFlux₂/EnFlux₁)^0.45. In 3 longitudinal studies (n = 212; mean follow-up of 3.4 y), the equation predicted the mean follow-up measured weight to within 0.5%.

Conclusions: The relation of EnFlux with weight was positive, which implied that a high TEI (rather than low physical activity and low TEE) was the main determinant of high body weight. Two populations of children with a 10% difference in mean EnFlux would have a 4.5% difference in mean weight.

Key Words: Energy intake • energy expenditure • energy balance • weight change • children

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. W Taylor, K. A McAuley, W. Barbezat, A. Strong, S. M Williams, and J. I Mann APPLE Project: 2-y findings of a community-based obesity prevention program in primary school age children Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2007; 86(3): 735 - 742. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bosy-Westphal and M. J Muller Energy intake or energy expenditure? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2006; 84(4): 945 - 945. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A Swinburn, D. Jolley, P. J Kremer, A. D Salbe, and E. Ravussin Reply to A Bosy-Westphal and MJ Muller Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2006; 84(4): 945 - 946. [Full Text] [PDF]