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Body size and human energy requirements: reduced mass-specific resting energy expenditure in tall adults

¹Merck and Company, Rahway, New Jersey; ²Section on Statistical Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and ³Pediatric Unit, Verona University Medical School, Verona, Italy

Submitted 28 April 2007 ; accepted in final form 2 August 2007

Two observations favor the presence of a lower mass-specific resting energy expenditure (REE/weight) in taller adult humans: an earlier report of height (H)-related differences in relative body composition; and a combined model based on Quetelet and Kleiber's classic equations suggesting that REE/weightH^–0.5. This study tested the hypothesis stating that mass-specific REE scales negatively to height with a secondary aim exploration of related associations between height, weight (W), surface area (SA), and REE. Two independent data sets (n = 344 and 884) were evaluated, both with REE measured by indirect calorimetry and the smaller of the two including fat estimates by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results support Quetelet's equation (WH²), but Kleiber's equation approached the interspecific mammal form (REEW^0.75) only after adding adiposity measures to weight and age as REE predictors. REE/weight scaled as H^(–0.5) in support of the hypothesis with P values ranging from 0.17 to <0.001. REE and SA both scaled as H^1.5, and REE/SA was nonsignificantly correlated with height in all groups. These observations suggest that adiposity needs to be considered when evaluating the intraspecific scaling of REE to weight; that relative to their weight, taller subjects require a lower energy intake for replacing resting heat losses than shorter subjects; that fasting endurance, approximated as fat mass/REE, increases as H^0.5; and that thermal balance is maintained independent of stature by evident stable associations between resting heat production and capacity of external heat release. These observations have implications for the modeling of adult human energy requirements and associate with anthropological concepts founded on body size.

body mass index; stature; body composition; obesity

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				S. B. Heymsfield, T. Chirachariyavej, I. J. Rhyu, C. Roongpisuthipong, M. Heo, and A. Pietrobelli Differences between brain mass and body weight scaling to height: potential mechanism of reduced mass-specific resting energy expenditure of taller adults J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2009; 106(1): 40 - 48. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]