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Low relative resting metabolic rate and body weight gain in adult Caucasian Italians

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the relationship between resting metabolic rate (RMR) and subsequent changes in body size and degree of fatness in a group of adult Caucasian Italians.

DESIGN:

Prospective, longitudinal, observational study.

SUBJECTS:

In total, 155 subjects (72 males and 83 females, age range: 18–55 y; BMI: 17.5–63.4 kg/m2) were evaluated. In total, 43 (26 m and 17 f; BMI: 28.9±1.1 kg/m2, mean±s.e.m.) of them were reassessed 10–12 y later.

MEASUREMENTS:

Anthropometric and body composition (bioimpedance analysis) parameters and RMR (indirect calorimetry) were taken at baseline and after 10–12 y.

RESULTS:

Subjects (15 m, 8 f) who gained body weight (arbitrarily defined as a change in body weight ≥5 kg) had baseline BMI (29.9±1.8 vs 28.0±1.4; P=NS) and body composition in terms of fat mass (FM%) and fat-free mass (FFM kg) comparable to those of the subjects (11 m, 9 f) whose body weight remained stable. Baseline RMR was significantly lower in subjects who gained weight than in those who did not (108±2.1 vs 122±3.1 kJ/kg-FFM 24 h; P<0.001), although it did not differ significantly between the two groups (119±2 vs 121±2 kJ/kg-FFM 24 h; P=NS) 10–12 y later. Baseline RMR was inversely correlated to both change in body weight (r=−0.57; P<0.001) and FM (r=−0.50; P<0.001).

CONCLUSION:

A low RMR normalized for FFM appears to be associated with body weight gain in the long run in adult Caucasian Italians.

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Acknowledgements

We express their gratitude to professor Yves Schutz, University of Lausanne (CH) for his critical comments during the revision of this manuscript and to Nancy W Birch, BA who edited the English. This study was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of Education (MURST funds 60% project 2001).

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Correspondence to S Buscemi.

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Buscemi, S., Verga, S., Caimi, G. et al. Low relative resting metabolic rate and body weight gain in adult Caucasian Italians. Int J Obes 29, 287–291 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802888

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