Very low levels of energy expenditure among pre-adolescent Mexican-American girls.
We assessed activity energy expenditure (AEE) in Mexican-American (MA) and European-American (EA) children. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured using the doubly-labeled water method; AEE was calculated as the difference between TEE and resting EE (REE), and physical activity level (PAL) was calculated as TEE/REE. Groups were comparable for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). REE did not differ between groups. The boys did not differ in TEE, AEE, or PAL (MA vs. EA, respectively: TEE, 7.9+/-1.5 vs. 7.5+/-0.9 MJ x d(-1); AEE: 64.9+/-24.7 vs. 65.3+/-22.3 kJ x kg(-1) x d(-1); PAL: 1.57+/-0.18 vs. 1.58+/-0.19 kJ x kg(-1) x d(-1)). MA girls had lower TEE, AEE, and PAL than EA girls (TEE: 6.8+/-0.9 vs. 8.1+/-0.8 MJ x d(-1); AEE, 37.3+/-15.9 vs. 64.9+/-24.7 kJ x kg(-1) x d(-1); PAL, 1.40+/-0.12 vs. 1.57+/-0.18; P <0.005). Results suggest that these MA girls were expending less energy than EA children of comparable body size due to a reduced activity energy expenditure.
Dugas
Lara R
LR
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. ldugas@lumc.edu
Ebersole
Kara
K
Schoeller
Dale
D
Yanovski
Jack A
JA
Barquera
Simon
S
Rivera
Juan
J
Durazo-Arzivu
Ramon
R
Luke
Amy
A
D050154:Adiposity; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*