Energy balance measurement: when something is not better than nothing
Open accessAbstract
Energy intake (EI) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) are key modifiable determinants of energy balance, traditionally assessed by self-report despite its repeated demonstration of considerable inaccuracies. We argue here that it is time to move from the common view that self-reports of EI and PAEE are imperfect, but nevertheless deserving of use, to a view commensurate with the evidence that self-reports of EI and PAEE are so poor that they are wholly unacceptable for scientific research on EI and PAEE. While new strategies for objectively determining energy balance are in their infancy, it is unacceptable to use decidedly inaccurate instruments, which may misguide health-care policies, future research and clinical judgment. The scientific and medical communities should discontinue reliance on self-reported EI and PAEE. Researchers and sponsors should develop objective measures of energy balance.
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Self-reported diet measurements are inaccurate and imprecise.
“While self-reported diet measurements are notoriously inaccurate and imprecise34–36, it may be possible to reconcile such data with objectively quantified increases in calorie intake.”
From Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity (2018) · cites this paper as [34]
The measurement errors of self-reported energy intake are sufficiently large and nonrandom that they have led to consistent and statistically significant correlations in the opposite direction from the true correlation for some relationships.
“The measurement errors are sufficiently large and nonrandom that they have led to consistent and statistically significant correlations in the opposite direction from the true correlation for some relationships.”
From Issues with data and analyses: Errors, underlying themes, and potential solutions (2018) · cites this paper as [19]
Self-reported energy intake method is invalid compared with objective measurements of actual energy intake.
“The method, compared with objective measurements of actual energy intake, turns out to be invalid (19), not just “limited” or “imperfect.””
From Issues with data and analyses: Errors, underlying themes, and potential solutions (2018) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Dhurandhar, N. V., Schoeller, D., Brown, A. W., Heymsfield, S. B., Thomas, D., Sørensen, T. I. A., Speakman, J. R., Jeansonne, M., Allison, D. B., & the Energy Balance Measurement Working Group
- Affiliations
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- Montclair State University (US)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- University of Aberdeen (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Allison, D B
- Venue
- International Journal of Obesity
- Published
- 2014-11-13
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1109-1113
- ISSN
- 0307-0565 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5497
- PMC
- PMC4430460
- OpenAlex
- W1998997127
- Cited by
- 567
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 70 · 2016: 66 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 9.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- International Journal of Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (T32DK062710, P30DK056336)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Keywords
- energy balance, energy intake, physical activity energy expenditure, self-report accuracy, objective measurement, obesity research, measurement error, dietary assessment
- MeSH terms
- Data Accuracy, Energy Intake, Energy Metabolism, Health Policy, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Motor Activity, Policy Making, Reproducibility of Results, Self Report, Observational Studies as Topic
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