Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To review current studies that examine differences in energy expenditure between African Americans and Caucasians as possible modulators of attained differences in overweight status.
DESIGN: Literature review of recent clinical and laboratory studies.
METHODS: Studies chosen for review were those that examined directly resting metabolic rate (RMR), using indirect calorimetry, and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE), using doubly labeled water.
RESULTS: Ten of 15 studies reviewed reported a lower RMR in African Americans than in Caucasians. The differences in RMR between African Americans and Caucasians ranged from 81 to 274 kcal/day and could not be explained by differences in age, fat-free mass (FFM) or methodological concerns. Two of six studies of energy expenditure using doubly labeled water suggest that Black adults have a tendency for lower TDEE that can be accounted for primarily by a lower PAEE.
CONCLUSIONS: If future studies indicate conclusively that African Americans do have lower RMR, TDEE and PAEE than Caucasians, then the disproportionally higher risk of obesity and associated metabolic disorders in Black adults may be preventable—especially in Black women. If these race differences are indeed a result of both physiological and behavioral factors, then interventions designed to reduce caloric intake and/or increase energy expenditure through lifestyle activity or structured exercise programs become especially important for African Americans and should be encouraged
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Kuczmarski RJ, Johnson CL . Overweight and obesity in the United States: prevalence and trends, 1960–1994 Int J Obes 1998 22: 39–47.
Najar MF, Rowland M . Anthropometric reference data and prevalence of overweight, United States, 1976–1980. In: Vital and Health Statistics (series 11), no. 238, DHHS Publication (PHS) 87-1688. US Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, 1987.
National Center for Health Statistics . Health United States, 1989. DHSS Publication no. (PHS) 90-1232. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1989.
Flegal KM, Harlan WR, Landis JR . Secular trends in body mass index and skinfold thickness with socioeconomic factors in young adult women Am J Clin Nutr 1988 48: 535–543.
Kumanyika S . Obesity and black women Epidemiol Rev 1987 9: 31–50.
Sobal J, Stunkard AJ . Socioeconomic status and obesity. A review of the literature Psychol Bull 1989 105: 260–227.
Williamson DF, Kahn HS, Byers T . The 10-year incidence of obesity and major weight gain in black and white US women aged 30–55 years Am J Clin Nutr 1991 53: 1515s–1518s.
Kahn HS, Williamson DF, Stevens JA . Race and weight change in US women: the roles of socioeconomic and marital status Am J Public Health 1991 81: 319–323.
Kumanyika SK, Obarzanek E, Stevens VJ, Hebert PR, Whelton PK . Weight -loss experience of African-American and Caucasian participants in NHLBI-sponsored clinical trials Am J Clin Nutr 1992 53: 1631s–1638s.
Kumanyika S, Wilson J, Guilford-Davenport M . Weight-related attitudes and behaviors of African-American women J Am Diet Assoc 1993 93: 416–422.
Troiano RP, Flegal KM, Kuczmarski RJ, Campbell SM, Johnson CL . Overweight prevalence and trends for children and adolescents. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1963 to 1991 Am Pediatr Adolesc Med 1995 149: 1085–1091.
Sjoström L . Impacts of body weight, body composition, and adipose tissue distribution on morbidity and mortality. In: Stunkard AJ, Wadden TA (eds). 2nd edn. Raven Press: New York Obesity: Theory and Therapy 1993 13–41.
National Center for Health Statistics . Health United States, 1991. DHHS Publication. US Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, 1991.
Durazo-Arvizo R, Cooper RS, Luke A, Prewitt TE, Liao Y, McGee DL . Relative weight and mortality in U.S. blacks and whites: findings from representative national population samples Ann Epidemiol 1997 7: 383–395.
Wolf AM, Colditz GA . Current estimates of the economic cost of obesity Obes Res 1998 6: 97–106.
Shah M, Jeffery RW . Is obesity due to overeating and inactivity, or to a defective metabolic rate. A review Ann Behav Med 1991 13: 73–81.
Poehlman ET . A review: exercise and its influence on resting energy metabolism in man Med Sci Sports Exerc 1989 21: 515–525.
Poehlman ET, Horton ES . Measurement of energy expenditure. In: Brownell KD, Fairburn CG (eds). Eating Disorders and Obesity. Guilford Press: New York 1995 105–111.
Forman JN, Miller WC, Szymanski LM, Fernhall B . Differences in resting metabolic rates of inactive obese African American and Caucasian women Int J Obes 1998 22:: 215–221.
Foster GD, Wadden TA, Vogt RA . Resting energy expenditure in obese African American and Caucasian women Obes Res 1997 5: 1–8.
Carpenter WH, Fonong T, Toth MJ, Ades PA, Calles-Escardon J, Walston J, Poehlman ET . Total daily energy expenditure in free-living older African-Americans and Caucasians Am J Physiol 1998 274 (1 Pt 1): E96–101.
Jakicic JM, Wing RR . Differences in resting energy expenditure in African-American vs Caucasian overweight females Int J Obes 1998 22: 2336–2342.
Ravussin E, Bogardus C . Relationship of genetics, age, and physical fitness to daily energy expenditures and fuel utilization Am J Clin Nutr 1989 49: 968–975.
Poehlman ET, Toth MJ . Mathematical ratios lead to spurious conclusions regarding age- and sex-related differences in resting metabolic rate Am J Clin Nutr 1995 61: 482–485.
Ravussin E, Lilloja S, Knowler WC, Christin L, Freymond D, Abbott WG, Boyce V, Howard BV, Bogardus C . Reduced rate of energy expenditure as a risk factor for body-weight gain New Engl J Med 1988 318: 467–472.
Poehlman ET, Toth MJ, Bunyard LB, Gardner AW, Donaldson KE, Colman E, Fororg T, Ades PA . Physiological predictors of increasing total and central adiposity in aging men and women Arch Intern Med 1995 155: 2443–2448.
Morrison JA, Alfaro MP, Khoury P, Thornton BB, Daniels SR . Determinants of resting energy expenditure in young black girls and young white girls J Pediatr 1996 129: 637–642.
Yanovski SZ, Reynolds JC, Boyle AJ, Yanovski JA . Resting metabolic rate in African-American and Caucasian girls Obes Res 1997 5: 321–325.
Chittwood LF, Brown SP, Lundy MJ, Dupper MA . Metabolic propensity toward obesity in black and white females: responses during rest, exercise and recovery Int J Obes 1996 20: 455–462.
Albu J, Shur M, Curi M, Murphy L, Heymsfield SB, Pi-Sunyer FX . Resting metabolic rate in obese, premenopausal black women Am J Clin Nutr 1997 66 (3): 531–538.
Kaplan AS, Zemel BS, Stallings VA . Differences in resting energy expenditure in prepubertal black children and white children J Pediatr 1996 129 (5): 643–647.
Geissler CA, Aldouri MS . Racial differences in the energy cost of standardized activities Ann Nutr Metab 1985 29:: 40–47.
Weyer C, Snitker S, Bogardus C, Ravussin E . Energy metabolism in African Americans: potential risk factors for obesity Am J Clin Nutr 1999 70: 13–20.
Berke E, Gardner AW, Goran MI, Poehlman ET . Effect of pre-testing environment on resting metabolic rate measurements Am J Clin Nutr 1992 55: 626–629.
Wilmore, Turley KR, McBride PJ, Wilmore JH . Resting metabolic rate measured after subjects spent the night at home vs at a clinic Am J Clin Nutr 1993 58: 141–144.
Kushner RF, Racette SB, Neil K, Schoeller DA . Measurement of physical activity among black and white obese women Obes Res 1995 3 (Suppl 2): 261s–265s.
Nagy TR, Gower B, Shewchuk RM, Goran MI . Serum leptin and energy expenditure in children J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 82: 4149–4153.
Nicklas BA, Toth MJ, Goldberg AP, Poehlman ET . Racial differences in plasma leptin in obese postmenopausal women J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 82: 315–317.
Sun M, Gower BA, Nagy TR, Trowbridge CA, Dexenberg C, Goran MI . Total, resting, and activity-related energy expenditure are similar in Caucasian and African-American children Am J Physiol 1998 274 (2 Pt 1): S232–237.
Trowbridge CA, Gower BA, Nagy TR, Hunter GR, Treuth MS, Goran MI . Maximal aerobic capacity in African-American and Caucasian prepubertal children Am J Physiol 1997 273 (4 Pt 1): E809–814.
McCrory MA, Gomez TD, Bernauer EM, Molé PA . Evaluation of a new air displacement plethysmograph for measuring human body composition Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995 27: 1686–1691.
Kohrt WM . Preliminary evidence that DEXA provides an accurate assessment of body composition J Appl Physiol 1998 84: 372–377.
Solomon SJ, Kurzer MS, Calloway DH . Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women Am J Clin Nutr 1982 36: 611–616.
Webb P . 24-hour energy expenditure and the menstrual cycle Am J Clin Nutr 1986 44: 614–619.
Heymsfield SB, Matthews DE, Heshka S . Doubly labeled water measures energy use Sci Am 1994 1: 74–83.
Goran MI, Poehlman ET . Total energy expenditure and energy requirements in healthy elderly Metabolism 1992 42: 487–496.
Champagne CM, Baker NB, DeLany JP, Harsha DW, Bray GA . Assessment of energy intake underreporting by doubly labeled water and observations on reported nutrient intakes in children J Am Diet Assoc 1998 98: 426–433.
Wong WW, Butte NF, Ellis JK, Hergenroeder AC, Hill RB, Stuff JE, Smith EO . Pubertal African-American girls expend less energy at rest and during physical activity than Caucasian girls J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999 84: 906–911.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by NIH (DK-52752 to ETP) and GCRC RR-109 at the University of Vermont and AG-10469 to LDP at Yale University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gannon, B., DiPietro, L. & Poehlman, E. Do African Americans have lower energy expenditure than Caucasians?. Int J Obes 24, 4–13 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801115
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801115
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Regulation of basal metabolic rate in uncomplicated pregnancy and in gestational diabetes mellitus
Hormones (2017)
-
The association of ideal cardiovascular health with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Diabetologia (2016)
-
Black and White Race Differences in Aerobic Capacity, Muscle Fiber Type, and Their Influence on Metabolic Processes
Sports Medicine (2015)
-
Explaining the Female Black-White Obesity Gap: A Decomposition Analysis of Proximal Causes
Demography (2011)
-
African American Women and Obesity: From Explanations to Prevention
Journal of African American Studies (2007)