Issues in Measuring and Interpreting Energy Balance and Its Contribution to Obesity
Abstract
Purpose of review Obesogenic environment challenges individuals' ability to preserve energy homeostasis, leading to weight gain. To understand how this energy imbalance proceeds, several methods and analytical procedures to determine energy intake and expenditure are currently available. However, these methods and procedures are not exempt from issues that may lead to equivocal conclusions. Our purpose herein is to discuss major issues involved in energy balance assessment. Recent findings Measurement of energy intake mostly relies on self-report methods that provide inaccurate data. In contrast, determination of energy expenditure is more accurate as long as methodological and analytical issues are correctly addressed. Accurate measurements of energy expenditure can be obtained with the current methods once issues in measuring and interpreting data are correctly addressed. However, development of new technologies to measure energy intake is imperative to further understand the small and chronic energy imbalance leading to obesity.
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Previous investigations have confirmed sex-based differences in substrate utilization at rest and during exercise, with men typically showing higher absolute fat oxidation rates than women.
“Previous investigations have confirmed sex‐based differences in substrate utilization at rest and during exercise (Fernández‐Verdejo et al., 2019; Schneiter et al., 1995), with men typically showing higher absolute fat oxidation rates than women.”
From Acute systemic and energy metabolism responses to velocity-based resistance training following an oral glucose load in individuals with excess body weight (2026) · cites this paper as Fernández‐Verdejo et al., 2019
Low REE has been implicated in weight regain, because it accounts for ≤70% of total daily energy expenditure in sedentary individuals.
“Low REE has been implicated in weight regain, because it accounts for ≤70% of the total daily energy expenditure in sedentary individuals (Fernández‐Verdejo et al., 2019).”
From Acute systemic and energy metabolism responses to velocity-based resistance training following an oral glucose load in individuals with excess body weight (2026) · cites this paper as Fernández‐Verdejo et al., 2019
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Carrillo‐Arango, H. A., Atencio‐Osorio, M. A., Ordoñez‐Mora, L. T., Benitez‐Gómez, B., Ramírez‐Vélez, R., & Izquierdo, M. (2026) · Experimental Physiology · doi:10.1113/ep093162 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Fernández-Verdejo, R., Aguirre, C., & Galgani, J. E.
- Affiliations
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CL)
- ORCID
- Aguirre, Carolina
- Venue
- Current Obesity Reports
- Published
- 2019-03-22
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 88-97
- ISSN
- 2162-4968 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2936377722
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 0.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current Obesity Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Keywords
- energy balance, obesity, energy homeostasis, energy expenditure measurement, obesogenic environment, measurement accuracy
- MeSH terms
- Basal Metabolism, Calorimetry, Indirect, Diet, Energy Metabolism, Homeostasis, Humans, Obesity, Mental Recall, Weight Gain, Exercise, Nutrition Assessment, Diet Records, Accelerometry
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