Total energy expenditure & physical activity level in chronically energy deficient Indian males measured by the doubly labelled water technique

Total energy expenditure (TEE) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the free-l iving state were measured in healthy south Indians, by the doubly labelled water (DLW) method. From these measurements, estimates of physical activity level (PAL) could be calculated, A total of 18 subjects were studied in 3 groups of 6 subjects each: Group I turban controls), Group II (urban slum, chronically undernourished) and Group III (rural), The urban slum recruits were chronically energy deficient (CED), and had a low BMI (average 17.0 kg /m(2)), while the rural subjects had an average. BMI of 18.1 kg/m(2), The T EE measured by the doubly labelled water technique was 11.2, 7.1 and 12.2 M J/day for Groups I, II and III respectively The TEE was significantly lower in the urban CED group as obtained by the one may ANOVA, The estimates of TEE by the DLW technique were compared with estimates made by whole body ca lorimetry, in the urban groups of subjects, The TEE obtained by calorimetry was 10.3 +/- 1.6 and 7.3 +/- 0.2 MJ/day in Groups I and II respectively, T here were mo significant differences between the TEE measured by the two me thods, in both the groups, The two methods also correlated well, and the me an difference between the methods, in both groups was -0.5 +/- 1.1 MJ/day, which was about 6 per cent of the value of TEE measured by the DLW method. The calculated PAE (by using TEE measured by DLW/BMR) was 1.79, 1.54 and 1. 90 for Groups I, II and III respectively, The results showed that the activ ity of chronically energy deficient subjects, in urban slums, was reduced, and that this may be their method of conserving energy to maintain a stable body weight, Rural males had a high activity level, even though they had a low BMI.