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Cited by 56Obesity, Physical Activity, DietRegulation of Appetite and ObesityBody Composition Measurement Techniques

Does metabolic compensation explain the majority of less-than-expected weight loss in obese adults during a short-term severe diet and exercise intervention?

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Byrne, N M, Wood, R E, Schutz, Y, Hills, A P·2012·International Journal of Obesity
DOI 10.1038/ijo.2012.109
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Abstract

Objective We investigated to what extent changes in metabolic rate and composition of weight loss explained the less-than-expected weight loss in obese men and women during a diet-plus-exercise intervention.Design In all, 16 obese men and women (41 ± 9 years; body mass index (BMI) 39 ± 6 kg m(-2)) were investigated in energy balance before, after and twice during a 12-week very-low-energy diet(565-650 kcal per day) plus exercise (aerobic plus resistance training) intervention. The relative energy deficit (EDef) from baseline requirements was severe (74%-87%). Body composition was measured by deuterium dilution and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured by indirect calorimetry. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were converted into energy equivalents using constants 9.45 kcal per g FM and 1.13 kcal per g FFM. Predicted weight loss was calculated from the EDef using the '7700 kcal kg(-1) rule'.Results Changes in weight (-18.6 ± 5.0 kg), FM (-15.5 ± 4.3 kg) and FFM (-3.1 ± 1.9 kg) did not differ between genders. Measured weight loss was on average 67% of the predicted value, but ranged from 39% to 94%. Relative EDef was correlated with the decrease in RMR (R=0.70, P<0.01), and the decrease in RMR correlated with the difference between actual and expected weight loss (R=0.51, P<0.01). Changes in metabolic rate explained on average 67% of the less-than-expected weight loss, and variability in the proportion of weight lost as FM accounted for a further 5%. On average, after adjustment for changes in metabolic rate and body composition of weight lost, actual weight loss reached 90% of the predicted values.Conclusion Although weight loss was 33% lower than predicted at baseline from standard energy equivalents, the majority of this differential was explained by physiological variables. Although lower-than-expected weight loss is often attributed to incomplete adherence to prescribed interventions, the influence of baseline calculation errors and metabolic downregulation should not be discounted.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [22]22. Byrne NM, Hills AP. Relationships between HR and VO2 in the obese. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002; 34: 1419-1427.
  2. [27]27. Wood RE, Byrne NM, Groves AM, Hills AP, King NK. Achieving energy balance in apparently sedentary obese males. Obesity Reviews 2010; 11: 219.

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Authors
Byrne, N. M., Wood, R. E., Schutz, Y., & Hills, A. P.
Affiliations
  • Queensland University of Technology (AU)
  • University of Lausanne (CH)
  • Griffith University (AU)
Corresponding author
Byrne, N M
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Obesity
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2012-07-24
Volume
36
Issue
11
Pages
1472-1478
ISSN
  • 0307-0565 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5497
DOI
10.1038/ijo.2012.109
OpenAlex
W1970378293
Cited by
56
References
43
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
FWCI
4.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • International Journal of Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • IRIS (submittedVersion)
  • Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
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
weight loss, obesity, very low calorie diet, diet and exercise intervention, resting metabolic rate, metabolic compensation, negative energy balance, body composition, fat mass, fat-free mass, energy equivalents, weight loss prediction, energy balance
MeSH terms
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Basal Metabolism, Body Composition, Energy Intake, Calorimetry, Indirect, Diet, Reducing, Energy Metabolism, Female, Humans, Male, Obesity, Patient Compliance, Predictive Value of Tests, Weight Loss, Exercise, Absorptiometry, Photon, Body Mass Index, Treatment Failure

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