Interindividual Variation in Posture Allocation: Possible Role in Human Obesity

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 307; no. 5709; pp. 584 - 586
• Main Authors: Levine, James A, Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine M, McCrady, Shelly K, Krizan, Alisa C, Olson, Leslie R, Kane, Paul H, Jensen, Michael D, Clark, Matthew M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 28.01.2005; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Activities of Daily Living; Activity Units; Adult; Analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biological variation; Body Composition; Body fat; Body mass index; Body Weight; Care and treatment; Causes of; DNA; Energy; Energy Intake; Energy Metabolism; Exercise; Expenditures; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; Human Posture; Humans; Locomotion; Male; Males; Mammals; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; Movement; Obesity; Obesity - physiopathology; Overnutrition; Physical Activities; Pilot Projects; Posture; Rats; Rattus; Risk factors; Scientific Concepts; Thermogenesis; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Volunteerism; Volunteers; Weight control; Weight Gain; Weight Loss; United States; Human; Obesity; Energetic cost; Daily living; Nutrition disorder; Interindividual comparison; Body movement; Nutritional status; Posture
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1106561

Obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. Humans expend energy through purposeful exercise and through changes in posture and movement that are associated with the routines of daily life [called nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)]. To examine NEAT's role in obesity, we recruited 10 lean and 10 mildly obese sedentary volunteers and measured their body postures and movements every half-second for 10 days. Obese individuals were seated, on average, 2 hours longer per day than lean individuals. Posture allocation did not change when the obese individuals lost weight or when lean individuals gained weight, suggesting that it is biologically determined. If obese individuals adopted the NEAT-enhanced behaviors of their lean counterparts, they might expend an additional 350 calories (kcal) per day.