Energy balances in relation to environmental and lifestyle factors : A quantitative analysis.

2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 16300227
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: National Institute of Health and Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: KASHIWAZAKI Hiroshi National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Health Promotion Program, Senior Researcher, 健康増進プログラム, 上級研究員 (60004735)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): LEE Jung Su University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Assistant Professor, 大学院医学系研究科, 講師 (60292728) ; KATSUKAWA Fuminori Keio University, Sports Medicine Research Center, Assistant Professor, スポーツ医学センター, 講師 (60194784) ; TAKATA Kazuko National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Health Promotion Program, Senior Researcher, 健康増進プログラム, 上級研究員 (80202951) ; TANAKA Shigeho National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Health Promotion Program, Senior Researcher, 健康増進プログラム, プロジェクト・リーダー (50251426) ; FUTAMI Jun Higashi Nippon International University, Faculty of Economics, Associate Professor, 経済学部, 助教授 (60258829)
• Project Period (FY): 2004 – 2006
• Keywords: Energy balance / Man ＆ environments / Doubly labeled water method / Whole body human calorimeter / Lifestyle and physical activity / Intervention for obesity

Research Abstract

Information on lifestyle and environmental factors affecting the body weight cycling and the shift toward overweight is essential in the assessment and prevention of obesity, but it is not sufficiently documented and studied. Based on our study in which the detailed analyses are still underway, the followings are the results tentatively summarized.
1. Individual monitoring of the exposure to temperature-humidity in daily life : Observations by using the portable type thermo-hygrometer and illuminometer indicated that the subjects spent most of their time in artificially controlled indoor environment. During 1 week monitoring for 17 middle-aged women, the overall mean duration of time stayed outdoors was 70 min/24h, and the individual variation was very large ranging from 1 to 166 min/24h.
2. Energy expenditure and physical-activity levels under the different environmental temperature : Measurements of resting metabolism by the whole body human calorimeter in the summer and the winter at the 25℃ for 12 men aged between 20-40 yr showed no significant differences in BMR, sleeping metabolism and RMR of sitting posture.
3. The investigation on the seasonal variation of daily time budget and the physical-activity under free-living conditions: This study was repeatedly made in the autumn and winter seasons. On 17 women who participated in the fall investigation, 24h energy expenditure (TEE) estimated by the life coder (TEE-lf), and timed-activity records (TEE-tr) were compared with TEE derived by the doubly-labeled water method (DLW). Average of TEE-tr was similar to those of the DLW method, but the TEE-lf underestimated significantly. Underestimation of TEE-lf was enlarged with the increase of energy expenditure.
4. Body weight monitoring and the assessment of a weight maintenance management system : Of the out patients of obesity clinic who passed the acute period of the weight loss and needed a weight maintenance management, the monthly (January-December) weight monitoring data which consisted of 258 subjects with BMI>25 were analyzed retrospectively for 3 years. They were classified into three groups ; the weight maintenance group, the increase group, and the decrease group. Seasonal changes in the body weight were observed in all groups, though the extents of variation were small. The pattern observed in all three groups was the increase in the winter and decrease in the summer.
The study was reviewed and approved by the ethical committee of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition.