Macronutrient profile can influence meal induced thermogenesis
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Australians
has been steadily increasing for the past 30 years. In Australia, an estimated
one in four children and adolescents are overweight or obese, with this figure
set to rise to one in three by 2025 [1], with an annual medical cost of ~$43 million [2].
An understanding of energy balance (energy intake and energy
expenditure) and how it can be manipulated is crucial in the management of body
weight [3].The manipulation of energy expenditure is a cornerstone of obesity
management. Strategies that manipulate meal-induced thermogenesis (MIT) present
an intriguing and relatively unexplored strategy to increase energy expenditure
in adolescents. MIT refers to the energy expended after a meal to facilitate
digestion, absorption, and disposal of nutrients and contributes approximately
10% to total daily expenditure [4]. Adolescents who are overweight and obese
display a reduced MIT profile [5-7].
Dr Kay Nguo and her team have been working hard to understand
how diet, in particular macronutrient profile, can be manipulated to influence
MIT in obese adolescents. Kay explained that “by exploring thermogenesis and
macronutrients, our recently published research provides opportunities
for further investigation around maximising an individual’s ability to expend
energy and in turn, deliver more effective weight loss for adolescents.”
In their latest study, when adolescents
consumed a high protein meal, MIT was almost double that than following an
isocaloric high carbohydrate meal (8.19% compared to 4.36%). Consumption of the
high protein meal led to an increased feeling of fullness and decreased hunger.
“We were able to demonstrate that the macronutrient profile
of a meal can have an impact on MIT, suggesting it could be a potential target
for energy expenditure manipulation” commented Kay. “Watching this field of
research develop is incredibly exciting. It not only provides more efficient weight
management opportunities for individuals but it also brings hope to those
combating obesity in the future.”
More Information:
Dr Kay Nguo works as a Research Fellow in the Department of
Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University. Her current research
focuses on the use of stable isotopes in metabolic research, in particular the
assessment of body composition and total energy expenditure.
Click here to read the full article
published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
Stay up to date with the Monash
University Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food on Twitter via @MonashNutrition.
Image Credit: RawPixel
References:
1. Haby MM, Markwick A, Peeters A, Shaw J, Vos
T. Future predictions of body mass index and overweight prevalence in
Australia. Health Promotion International. 2012;27:250-260
2. Black N, Hughes R, Jones AM.
The health care costs of childhood obesity in Australia: An instrumental
variables approach. Economics and Human Biology. 2018;31:1-13
3. James OH. Understanding and
Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity: An Energy Balance Perspective. Endocrine
Reviews. 2006;27(7): 750–761. DOI: /10.1210/er.2006-0032
3. Tataranni PA, Larson DE, Snitker S, Ravussin E. Thermic
effect of food in humans: methods and results from use of a respiratory
chamber. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995;61:1013–1019
4. Maffeis C, Schutz Y, Zoccante L, Pinelli L. Meal-induced
thermogenesis in obese children with or without familial history of obesity.
European Journal of Pediatrics. 1993;152:128–131
5. Maffeis C, Schutz Y, Zoccante L, Micciolo R, Pinelli L.
Meal-induced thermogenesis in lean and obese prepubertal children. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993;57:481–485
6. Katch VL, Moorehead CP, Becque MD, Rocchini AP. Reduced
short-term thermic effects of a meal in obese adolescent girls. European
journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology. 1992;65:535–540
