Abstract
Resting energy expenditure (REE) represents the amount of calories required by the body to maintain vital body functions. One of the most commonly used methods for estimating REE is indirect calorimetry. Recent studies on different populations have validated a highly innovative instrument, the SenseWear® Armband (SWA), which evaluates total energy expenditure and, when used in resting conditions, could also evaluate REE. The purpose of this study was to determine the agreement of the SWA in assessing REE in obese subjects and, see how this agreement varies with different obesity degree. 89 obese subjects (59 women and 30 men), with an age range from 35-65 years and body mass index (BMI) 34.5 4.5 kg/m 2 were studied. REE was measured by IC Sensor Medics Vmax (SM-29N) and by SWA. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) was determined by anthropometry and bio-impedance measurements. No statistical difference was found between REE measured by SWA (1693±276) and REE measured by SM-29N (1627±293). The two methods showed similar assessments (r=0.8, p<0.0001). When the BMI range is limited to 30 to 35 kg/m 2 , this agreement increases (r = 0.85, p<0.0001). However, at higher BMIs (BMI> 35 kg/m 2 ), the agreement decreases (r = 0.6 p <0.0001). FFM, measured using different methods, and REE measured using SWA and SM-29N are very closely correlated. The accuracy of the SWA is affected by BMI, in fact it appears to be good in obese subjects with a BMI range of 30 to 35, but this accuracy decreases with higher BMIs (BMI> 35).
Highlights
There is a critical need to control the current obesity epidemic in the light of the increasing prevalence of overweight and obese individuals around the world [1,2,3,4], since one and 1, 5 billion of the world’s population are overweight or obese [5,6]
We calculated resting energy expenditure (REE) with Harris-Benedict predicted equation (Table 1) and find that the best correlation was between REE estimated by SenseWear® Armband (SWA) and REE estimated by Harris Benedict (r = 0.85)
This correlation is higher than the correlation of REE measured by Vmax and REE measured by Harris Benedict (r = 0.75) and even higher than the correlation between REE measured by gold standard Vmax and REE measured by SenseWear (r = 0.8)
Summary
There is a critical need to control the current obesity epidemic in the light of the increasing prevalence of overweight and obese individuals around the world [1,2,3,4], since one and 1, 5 billion of the world’s population are overweight or obese [5,6]. An imbalance in energy intake and energy expenditure leads to obesity, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality [9,10,11] and with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic diseases in general [12,13]. Weight-loss diets are associated with a reduction in resting energy expenditure (REE, kcal/day) [12] and in lean body mass (LBM), which is positively associated with REE [14]. Regular physical activity reduces abdominal fat, risk of mortality [17] and calorie intake and weight loss is associated with a reduction in metabolic risk factors [18]
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