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Cited by 19Obesity, Physical Activity, DietRegulation of Appetite and ObesityBody Composition Measurement Techniques

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Total energy expenditure is repeatable in adults but not associated with short-term changes in body composition

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Rimbach, Rebecca, Yamada, Yosuke, Sagayama, Hiroyuki, Ainslie, Philip N., Anderson, Lene F., Anderson, Liam J., Arab, Lenore, Baddou, Issaad, Bedu-Addo, Kweku, Blaak, Ellen E., Blanc, Stephane, Bonomi, Alberto G., Bouten, Carlijn V. C., Bovet, Pascal, Buchowski, Maciej S., Butte, Nancy F., Camps, Stefan G. J. A., Close, Graeme L., Cooper, Jamie A., Das, Sai Krupa, Dugas, Lara R., Ekelund, Ulf, Entringer, Sonja, Forrester, Terrence, Fudge, Barry W., Goris, Annelies H., Gurven, Michael, Hambly, Catherine, El Hamdouchi, Asmaa, Hoos, Marije B., Hu, Sumei, Joonas, Noorjehan, Joosen, Annemiek M., Katzmarzyk, Peter, Kempen, Kitty P., Kimura, Misaka, Kraus, William E., Kushner, Robert F., Lambert, Estelle V., Leonard, William R., Lessan, Nader, Martin, Corby K., Medin, Anine C., Meijer, Erwin P., Morehen, James C., Morton, James P., Neuhouser, Marian L., Nicklas, Theresa A., Ojiambo, Robert M., Pietiläinen, Kirsi H., Pitsiladis, Yannis P., Plange-Rhule, Jacob, Plasqui, Guy, Prentice, Ross L., Rabinovich, Roberto A., Racette, Susan B., Raichlen, David A., Ravussin, Eric, Reynolds, Rebecca M., Roberts, Susan B., Schuit, Albertine J., Sjödin, Anders M., Stice, Eric, Urlacher, Samuel S., Valenti, Giulio, Van Etten, Ludo M., Van Mil, Edgar A., Wells, Jonathan C. K., Wilson, George, Wood, Brian M., Yanovski, Jack, Yoshida, Tsukasa, Zhang, Xueying, Murphy-Alford, Alexia J., Loechl, Cornelia U., Luke, Amy H., Rood, Jennifer, Schoeller, Dale A., Westerterp, Klaas R., Wong, William W., Speakman, John R., Pontzer, Herman, The IAEA DLW Database Consortium, Speakman, John R.·2022·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-27246-zPMC PMC8748652
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Abstract

Low total energy expenditure (TEE, MJ/d) has been a hypothesized risk factor for weight gain, but repeatability of TEE, a critical variable in longitudinal studies of energy balance, is understudied. We examine repeated doubly labeled water (DLW) measurements of TEE in 348 adults and 47 children from the IAEA DLW Database (mean ± SD time interval: 1.9 ± 2.9 y) to assess repeatability of TEE, and to examine if TEE adjusted for age, sex, fat-free mass, and fat mass is associated with changes in weight or body composition. Here, we report that repeatability of TEE is high for adults, but not children. Bivariate Bayesian mixed models show no among or within-individual correlation between body composition (fat mass or percentage) and unadjusted TEE in adults. For adults aged 20–60 y (N = 267; time interval: 7.4 ± 12.2 weeks), increases in adjusted TEE are associated with weight gain but not with changes in body composition; results are similar for subjects with intervals >4 weeks (N = 53; 29.1 ± 12.8 weeks). This suggests low TEE is not a risk factor for, and high TEE is not protective against, weight or body fat gain over the time intervals tested.

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  • Some research studies have called into question the role of sedentary lifestyle as a cause of obesity in modern societies.

    “However, some research studies have called into question the role of sedentary lifestyle as a cause of obesity in modern societies.59”

    From Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity (2025) · cites this paper as [59]

    The Discussion reports no evidence that adults with lower adjusted total energy expenditure were more likely to gain body fat, which lends some support to questioning an expenditure-based explanation of weight gain. But it also says the study lacked objective physical-activity measures. It therefore does not directly test whether a sedentary lifestyle causes obesity in modern societies. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Rimbach, R., Yamada, Y., Sagayama, H., Ainslie, P. N., Anderson, L. F., Anderson, L. J., Arab, L., Baddou, I., Bedu-Addo, K., Blaak, E. E., Blanc, S., Bonomi, A. G., Bouten, C. V. C., Bovet, P., Buchowski, M. S., Butte, N. F., Camps, S. G. J. A., Close, G. L., Cooper, J. A., Das, S. K., Dugas, L. R., Ekelund, U., Entringer, S., Forrester, T., Fudge, B. W., Goris, A. H., Gurven, M., Hambly, C., El Hamdouchi, A., Hoos, M. B., Hu, S., Joonas, N., Joosen, A. M., Katzmarzyk, P., Kempen, K. P., Kimura, M., Kraus, W. E., Kushner, R. F., Lambert, E. V., Leonard, W. R., Lessan, N., Martin, C. K., Medin, A. C., Meijer, E. P., Morehen, J. C., Morton, J. P., Neuhouser, M. L., Nicklas, T. A., Ojiambo, R. M., Pietiläinen, K. H., Pitsiladis, Y. P., Plange-Rhule, J., Plasqui, G., Prentice, R. L., Rabinovich, R. A., Racette, S. B., Raichlen, D. A., Ravussin, E., Reynolds, R. M., Roberts, S. B., Schuit, A. J., Sjödin, A. M., Stice, E., Urlacher, S. S., Valenti, G., Van Etten, L. M., Van Mil, E. A., Wells, J. C. K., Wilson, G., Wood, B. M., Yanovski, J., Yoshida, T., Zhang, X., Murphy-Alford, A. J., Loechl, C. U., Luke, A. H., Rood, J., Schoeller, D. A., Westerterp, K. R., Wong, W. W., Speakman, J. R., Pontzer, H., The IAEA DLW Database Consortium, & Speakman, J. R.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • National Institute of Health and Nutrition (JP)
  • University of Tsukuba (JP)
  • Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
  • University of Oslo (NO)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (GH)
  • Maastricht University (NL)
  • Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • Tufts University (US)
  • Loyola University Chicago (US)
  • Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NO)
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
  • University of the West Indies System (JM)
  • University of Glasgow (GB)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
  • University of Cape Town (ZA)
  • Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (AE)
  • The Football Association (GB)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Moi University (KE)
  • Helsinki University Hospital (FI)
  • University of Brighton (GB)
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • University of Southern California (US)
  • The Queen's Medical Research Institute (GB)
  • Tilburg University (NL)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
  • Stanford University (US)
  • Baylor University (US)
  • University College London (GB)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (AT)
Corresponding author
  • Rimbach, Rebecca
  • Yamada, Yosuke
  • Sagayama, Hiroyuki
  • Luke, Amy H.
  • Rood, Jennifer
  • Schoeller, Dale A.
  • Westerterp, Klaas R.
  • Wong, William W.
  • Pontzer, Herman
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-01-10
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
99-99
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-021-27246-z
PMC
PMC8748652
OpenAlex
W4206840255
Cited by
19
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 10
FWCI
3.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • University of Brighton Repository (University of Brighton) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
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  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
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  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
National Science Foundation (BCS-1824466)
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 (medical) › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
Keywords
total energy expenditure, repeatability, doubly labeled water, body composition, fat mass, weight gain, energy balance, children, adults, fat-free mass, Bayesian mixed models
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Adult, Bayes Theorem, Body Composition, Child, Energy Metabolism, Female, Humans, Isotope Labeling, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Water, Weight Gain, Databases, Factual

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