Open AccessVery low levels of energy expenditure among pre‐adolescent Mexican‐American girls
Author(s) -
DUGAS LARA R.,
EBERSOLE KARA,
SCHOELLER DALE,
YANOVSKI JACK A.,
BARQUERA SIMON,
RIVERA JUAN,
DURAZOARZIVU RAMON,
LUKE AMY
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1747-7174
pISSN - 1747-7166
DOI - 10.1080/17477160801902248
Subject(s) - medicine , doubly labeled water , energy expenditure , total energy expenditure , resting energy expenditure , body mass index , zoology , physical activity , endocrinology , demography , physical therapy , sociology , biology
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.d −1 ; AEE: 64.9±24.7 vs. 65.3±22.3 kJ.kg −1 .d −1 ; PAL: 1.57±0.18 vs. 1.58±0.19 kJ.kg −1 .d −1 ). MA girls had lower TEE, AEE, and PAL than EA girls (TEE: 6.8±0.9 vs. 8.1±0.8 MJ.d −1 ; AEE, 37.3±15.9 vs. 64.9±24.7 kJ.kg −1 .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.