The energy expenditure of postmenopausal women classified as restrained or unrestrained eaters

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2001-12, Vol.55 (12), p.1059-1067
• Main Authors: BATHALON, G. P, HAYS, N. P, MCCRORY, M. A, VINKEN, A. G, TUCKER, K. L, GREENBERG, A. S, CASTANEDA, C, ROBERTS, S. B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerobic capacity; Basal Metabolism - physiology; Bioenergetics; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body Mass Index; Body size; Body weight; Body weight gain; Calorimetry, Indirect; Clinical nutrition; Diet; Diet, Reducing - psychology; Eating - physiology; Eating - psychology; Energy expenditure; Energy Intake; Energy metabolism; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Exercise - physiology; Fat-free body mass; Female; Food and nutrition; Food habits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; Humans; Intermediate and energetic metabolism; Leisure Activities; Medical sciences; Menopause; Metabolic diseases; Metabolism; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Middle Aged; Multiple regression models; Nutrition; Obesity; Oxygen Consumption; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physiology; Post-menopause; Postmenopausal women; Postmenopause - metabolism; Regression analysis; Thermogenesis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weight Gain - physiology; Women
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601268

Restrained eating is a common dietary practice among individuals who are attempting to prevent weight gain, but little is known about differences in energy physiology and regulation between restrained and unrestrained eaters. We investigated this issue in non-obese free-living postmenopausal women classified as long-term restrained (n=26) or unrestrained (n=34) eaters group matched for body mass index (BMI). Measurements were made of total energy expenditure (TEE), resting energy expenditure (REE), body composition, reported leisure time activity, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and weight change during the study period. In addition, physical activity level (PAL) and nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) were calculated from measured variables. There were no significant differences between the groups in body composition, weight change, aerobic capacity or total leisure time activity. Relationships between fat-free mass (FFM) and both REE and TEE, and the relationship between work load and energy expenditure in the test of maximal oxygen consumption, were also not different between groups. However, restrained eaters had a significantly lower PAL (equal to TEE/REE, 1.72+/-0.04 vs 1.84+/-0.04, P