Differences in resting energy expenditure between black and white smokers:implications for postcessation weight gain

Objective: To examine differences in resting energy expenditure (REE) betwe en black and white smokers in order to determine whether REE might contribu te to postcessation weight gain. Design: Cross-sectional and prospective investigation of ethnic differences in REE. Differences in REE between black and white smokers were examined a t baseline while all participants were smoking, and again during 2 weeks of abstinence from smoking. Setting: Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Subjects: Sixty-six black and 112 white smokers (age 30.4 y; cigarettes per day 21.4; weight 71.7 kg; body mass index 24.5 kg/m(2)). Results: Black smokers had a significantly lower baseline REE after adjusti ng for gender and body weight. Changes in REE following smoking cessation d id not differ by ethnicity. Conclusions: These results suggest that black smokers may be more energy ef ficient, which could contribute to ethnic differences in postcessation weig ht gain.