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Energy Balance and Body Composition Changes
A Critical Study of Three Recent Publications
- FRANCISCO GRANDE, M.D.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Francisco Grande, M.D., Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Stadium Gate 27, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455.
SUMMARY
Comparison of the caloric value of the fat and protein lost to the body during starvation or food restriction with an estimate of the energy expenditure of the subject provides a simple way of detecting gross errors in body composition studies.
Application of this criterion to the data of three recent reports showed very marked discrepancies between the caloric equivalent of the weight loss and the estimate of energy expenditure of the subjects.
Further analysis of the original data is presented, and the various possible sources of error are discussed.
Article and Author Information
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From the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene, University of Minnesota, and the Jay Phillips Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital, Minneapolis, Minn.
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- Received August 29, 1967.
- Accepted September 19, 1967.
