Total energy expenditure and body composition in early infancy.
In adults greater energy expenditure, primarily on physical activity, is associated with greater leanness. Such an association has proved more difficult to demonstrate in infants, partly due to the difficulty of measuring fatness and free living energy expenditure in this age group. Stable isotope techniques now make such investigations more viable.


OBJECTIVE
The relationship between body composition and energy expenditure was investigated in 12 week infants.


METHODS
Total energy expenditure and fat mass were estimated using the doubly labelled water technique.


METHODS
92 normal healthy infants.


RESULTS
Fat mass was correlated with both triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses (p < 0.001). After controlling for body size, age was a significant predictor of fat mass (p = 0.003), whereas total energy expenditure was not (p = 0.463).


CONCLUSIONS
The cross sectional link between activity level and fatness in young infants, reported previously, does not persist when energy expenditure is considered.
Wells
J C
JC
Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge.
Cole
T J
TJ
Davies
P S
PS
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003903:Deuterium; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D003903:Deuterium