Factors affecting total energy expenditure (TEE) were examined in a meta-analysis of 13 adult studies (n = 162) (Carpenter et al., 1995). The relationships between weight and TEE were highly variable across studies (z = 0.68; r = 0.18–1.0). Differences in RMR accounted for less than 50 percent of the variance in TEE (z = 0.66; r = 0.42–0.89). Adjusted for RMR, TEE was not affected by FM and was lower in women than men. In a separate study, Roberts and Dallal (1998) reported a negative relationship between FM and TEE consistent with the general perception that low physical activity and fat accumulation are correlated.

Another question relevant to the effect of body composition on energy requirements is whether obese individuals taken as a group have altered energy requirements, either prior to the development of obesity (in