title: Meal-induced thermogenesis in obese patients before and after weight reduction.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to find out whether human obesity is associated with a diminished meal-induced thermogenesis and, if so, to what extent this response is influenced by weight reduction. Ten obese subjects (body mass index 42 +/- 2) and 10 age- and sex-matched non-obese volunteers were studied with continuous indirect calorimetry in the basal state and after the ingestion of a standardized test meal. Six obese subjects (body mass index 44 +/- 2) were examined on two occasions, once before and once after gastric banding and an average weight reduction of 18 +/- 3 kg. Basal oxygen uptake and energy expenditure were 30% (P less than 0.001) greater in the obese subjects compared to non-obese controls. After the meal, pulmonary oxygen uptake and energy expenditure increased rapidly and reached a relatively constant level after 60 min; for pulmonary oxygen uptake the average rise above basal was less in the obese (17.7 +/- 1.6%) than the non-obese (27.8 +/- 1.9%, P less than 0.001); the increase in energy expenditure was 18.5 +/- 1.7% in obese and 30.8 +/- 2.1% in non-obese subjects (P less than 0.001). After weight reduction, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure in the basal state were 20% lower (P less than 0.05) than before weight reduction. The average post-prandial increase in oxygen uptake was greater after weight reduction (24.8 +/- 2.0%) than before (16.7 +/- 1.6%, P less than 0.001). Corresponding values for energy expenditure were 27.2 +/- 2.2 and 18.2 +/- 2.2% (P less than 0.001). It is concluded that: (1) the thermogenic response to a mixed meal is lower in obese compared to non-obese individuals; and, (2) this impaired response is partly normalized after weight reduction. These findings suggest that a diminished meal-induced thermogenesis is a secondary phenomenon rather than a primary pathogenic factor in human obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thörne
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hallberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wahren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*