title: Resting metabolic rate in obese children before, during and after weight loss.
abstract: Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition were measured by indirect calorimetry and body impedance analysis in 14 obese children before weight loss, during weight reduction for 3 weeks with a conventional hypocaloric diet (730 kcal/3050 kJ) and 12 months after weight loss. The initial weight reduction (5.8 +/- 1.2 kg) resulted in a decrease in RMR and fat free mass (FFM) of 17 +/- 10 per cent (P less than 0.001) and 3.1 +/- 2.3 kg (P less than 0.001), respectively. Prior to weight loss (r2 = 0.89, P less than 0.001) and after 12 months follow up (r2 = 0.88, P less than 0.001) RMR correlated positively with FFM. Changes in RMR after 3 weeks weight loss and throughout the follow-up were positively correlated with changes in FFM (r2 = 0.29, P less than 0.05 and r2 = 0.90, P less than 0.001). Our data indicate that RMR in obese children considerably decreased during a 3 weeks weight reduction, but no sustained depression of the metabolic rate after 12 months was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Zwiauer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D002151:Calorimetry; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*