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Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

research.brighton.ac.uk

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Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#71

Post by medler »

dp-hackernews wrote: post #12

Did anyone happen to read any of the responses to the article at https://www.science.org/ It seems that others don't fully support their findings either. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5017#eletters...

The only criticism I see is some nitpicking saying that the claim “was based on statistical means, ignoring the known intense drops in the energy expenditure that some individuals show during their life. For example, a clear decrease in metabolic rate is observed in humans that consume calorie-restricted diets (Fothergill et al. 2016), an adaptation named ‘metabolic slowing’ (Johannsen et al. 2012). Therefore, the statement is innacurate and possibly wrong.”

These critics don’t seem to disagree with the core claim about average metabolism across the lifespan.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#72

Post by dp-hackernews »

strangesmells02 wrote: post #27

Anecdotally: I havent changed diet one bit, actually I eat way healthier than when I was younger. And still weigh much more than when younger.

That is likely down to the type of "food" that you are eating. Or you are eating more than is necessary.

A diet that contains a high nutritional content will prevent you from over-eating due to satiety signals (unless you have a hormone issue) rather than eating to the point of feeling "stuffed" - if someone is eating to the point of feeling "stuffed" then it would suggest that they are not eating food with a high nutritional content, or that they have some disorder that is interfering with their normal eating process.

If you look to the animal kingdom, the lion kills the zebra, feeds then walks away, the next in line feeds, then walks away, etc, etc... no animal eats until they are "stuffed" - if they did then they would become another animals prey because they are too "stuffed" to move!

No wonder some countries consider it rude to clear your plate of food. (too bad the Brits do this the other way around!) lol

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#73

Post by sdwr »

uncletaco wrote: post #53
Lord-Jobo wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yep, so many people go from 10k steps a day in college to 5k in an entry level position to 1k in a desk role. for a 200lb 6 ft tall male, thats 3000 kcal burned a day to 2600, to 2300. 700kcal a day being a weight change total of around 1.5 lb a week when you consider days off.

I’m a 6’0 man who went up to 220lbs when I started working a desk job that provided sodas on demand. When I left there and went somewhere I needed to walk to eat lunch to I lost 30lbs and now hover around 190lbs. When I learned how to swim last year that dropped to 175 ish and would’ve probably kept dropping if I spent more than 3 months going to the pool for an hour a day twice a week.

Swimming is where it's at! Sounds like a little went a long way.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#74

Post by trefoiled »

crazygringo wrote: post #61
logicchains wrote: post #34

Muscle burns more energy than fat. As people age, their muscle mass declines without sufficient exercise, so we'd naturally expect the average person's metabolism to decline via this even if "metabolism per kg muscle" didn't change.

But on the other hand, adding either muscle or fat burns more energy period, and we watch the average person's weight gain somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds over the first half of adulthood. So we could easily expect the average person's metabolism to increase as well, simply to support the extra body mass regardless of composition. Balancing out the two effects can only really be determined through careful statisti…

There's good evidence that metabolic rate does vary, but not significantly.

https://examine.com/articles/does-metabolism-vary-between-tw...

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#75

Post by paulpauper »

Lord-Jobo wrote: post #42
dijit wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think thats basically true for most people, hence the belief that metabolism slows with age. Proving that its not metabolism would imply that our weight gain in later life is a combination of other factors. I would bet good money on the increase in sedentary leisure activities, the reliance on motorised vehicles and a lack of energy to be active. I would bet on those long before anything as nebulous as diet or inta…

yep, so many people go from 10k steps a day in college to 5k in an entry level position to 1k in a desk role. for a 200lb 6 ft tall male, thats 3000 kcal burned a day to 2600, to 2300. 700kcal a day being a weight change total of around 1.5 lb a week when you consider days off.

If inactivity were the explanation, it would be possible to fix obesity by having people be more active, yet this this does not work :

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U1RxtW9oglcck-2g2X_SrKzIA44=...

exercise not help at all. the body compensates in many ways

400 calories burned from a run does not magically offset a donut. The conversion rate may be flat or even negative.

source: https://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-...

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#76

Post by arpinum »

paulpauper wrote: post #65
arpinum wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fidgeting.

Then why can't someone just make an exercise program that replicates this fidgeting. How is fidgeting more potent than 10,000+ steps/day , which a lot of people do but still stay fat.

The question is about base metabolic rate, not energy expenditure from exercise.

Fidgeting is a non conscious act performed throughout the day, it is not exercise. Exercise can actually reduce fidgeting and this shows up in athletes lower BMR that needs to be taken into account for meal programmes.

It is easy to eat more calories than are used in taking 10.000 steps.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#77

Post by kenjackson »

trefoiled wrote: post #74
crazygringo wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But on the other hand, adding either muscle or fat burns more energy period, and we watch the average person's weight gain somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds over the first half of adulthood. So we could easily expect the average person's metabolism to increase as well, simply to support the extra body mass regardless of composition. Balancing out the two effects can only really be determined through careful statisti…

There's good evidence that metabolic rate does vary, but not significantly. https://examine.com/articles/does-metabolism-vary-between-tw...

The article states the difference is small, but also notes “ The majority of the population exists in a range of 200-300kcal from each other”.

All things being even 200kcal difference per day is about 20lbs per year attributed purely to metabolic difference. Now you can say to just eat 200kcal less per day, but those little differences on a daily basis add up.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#78

Post by amanaplanacanal »

strangesmells02 wrote: post #27

Anecdotally: I havent changed diet one bit, actually I eat way healthier than when I was younger. And still weigh much more than when younger.

There is probably some larger environmental factor that causing the majority of people to gain weight. Whatever it is started in the 1970s in the US, and has since spread to most of the rest of the world. Possibly plasticizers, or some other chemical. Even children are much heavier now.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#79

Post by julianeon »

strangesmells02 wrote: post #27

Anecdotally: I havent changed diet one bit, actually I eat way healthier than when I was younger. And still weigh much more than when younger.

Anecdotally, to me it seems like my metabolism hasn't changed. I was overweight when I was younger because I overate. Now I don't, and my weight is normal, on the low end for my height. But nothing about the quantities turning into pounds changed, from my p.o.v. (mid 40s now).

Actually the main thing that changed for me is I started compressing all my eating into 1-2 meals per day. That way I could track it. Before I couldn't tell you if "I haven't changed my diet" because it was a continuum of eating from morning till night. I have no idea what changed over time, couldn't even tell you for one week. Once I "bounded" it I was able to bring my weight down quickly.

Btw, sorry if this sounds snarky, it seemed like flagging this as anecdotal was the right way to start so I copied it.

Re: Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

#80

Post by vsareto »

kenjackson wrote: post #77
trefoiled wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's good evidence that metabolic rate does vary, but not significantly. https://examine.com/articles/does-metabolism-vary-between-tw...

The article states the difference is small, but also notes “ The majority of the population exists in a range of 200-300kcal from each other”. All things being even 200kcal difference per day is about 20lbs per year attributed purely to metabolic difference. Now you can say to just eat 200kcal less per day, but those little differences on a daily basis add up.

Even better if you burn 200 more per day without feeling more hungry than someone who burns less than you
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