Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-qc88w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-05T17:50:28.480Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Routes to obesity: phenotypes, food choices and activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

John E. Blundell  and
John Cooling
John E. Blundell*
Affiliation:
BioPsychology Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
John Cooling
Affiliation:
BioPsychology Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
*
*Corresponding author: J. Blundell, fax +44 113 233 6670, email J.E.Blundell@leeds.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Gain in body weight over a number of years could be achieved through cumulative positive energy balances. These positive balances could come about through adjustments in the various components of energy expenditure or fuel utilization, together with shifts in food selection or eating patterns leading to adjustments in macronutrient intake. This means that many combinations of intake and expenditure could lead to a positive energy balance; these combinations can be called routes to body weight gain. However, these routes are difficult to trace by studying random samples of individuals. Previous investigations have found a clear association between high fat consumption and the occurrence of obesity, and although a high fat intake is a strong behavioural risk factor for weight gain, the relationship does not constitute a biological inevitability. Some normal-weight and lean individuals appear to eat a high-fat diet. To investigate reasons for this we have studied individuals initially defined by particular clusters of dietary characteristics related to fat and carbohydrate consumption. Habitual high-fat (HF) and low-fat (LF) consumers have been termed phenotypes. Various aspects of energy expenditure (physiological and behavioural) and energy intake were measured in these individuals with contrasting profiles. HF phenotypes had high intakes of fatty foods and an overall higher energy intake than LF. However, these groups of young adult males had similar BMIs and percentage body fat. The HF had a significantly higher resting metabolic rate (RMR) and a lower RQ, together with high plasma fasting leptin levels, and a higher sleeping heart rate. In HF individuals the physical activity level was somewhat lower and they had significantly more periods of sedentary behaviour than LF subjects. Although HF individuals appear to be more vulnerable to developing obesity, both phenotypes carry particular risk factors and protective factors for weight gain. The use of phenotypes has allowed the identification of different potential routes to weight gain. Different strategies are required to prevent age-related increase in body weight in these quite different individuals.

Keywords

ObesityPhenotypesHigh-fatLow-fat

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 83 , Issue S1 , June 2000 , pp. S33 - S38
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2000

References

Astrup, A, Raben, A, Buemann, B & Toubro, S (1997) Fat metabolism in the predisposition to obesity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 827, 417–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Astrup, A, Ryan, L, Storgaard, M, Saris, WHM & Hill, JO (1999) Does dietary fat affect obesity? A meta-analysis of ad libitum low-fat diets British Journal of Nutrition.Google Scholar
Baghurst, KI, Baghurst, PA & Record, SJ (1994) Demographic and dietary profiles of high and low fat consumers in Australia. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 48, 26–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blundell, JE & Cooling, J (1999) High-fat and low-fat (behavioural) phenotypes: biology or environment. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 58, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blundell, JE & & King, NA (1996) Overconsumption as a cause of weight gain: behavioural–physiological interactions in the control of food intake (appetite). In The Origins and Consequences of Obesity (Ciba Foundation Symposium 201), pp. 138–158. Chichester, UK: Wiley.Google Scholar
Blundell, JE & Macdiarmid, JI (1997) Passive overconsumption fat intake and short-term energy balance. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 827, 392–407.Google Scholar
Blundell, JE, Lawton, CL, Cotton, JR & Macdiarmid, JI (1996) Control of human appetite: implications for the intake of dietary fat. Annual Review of Nutrition 16, 285–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bouchard, C, Tremblay, A, Leblanc, C, Lortie, G, Savard, R & Theriault, G (1983) A method to assess energy expenditure in children and adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 461–467.Google Scholar
Cooling, J & Blundell, JE (1998) Are high-fat and low-fat consumers distinct phenotypes? Differences in the subjective and behavioural response to energy and nutrient challenges. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52, 193–201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooling, J & Blundell, JE (1998) Differences in energy expenditure and substrate oxidation between habitual high fat and low fat consumers (phenotypes). International Journal of Obesity 22, 612–618.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooling, J, Barth, J & Blundell, JE (1998) The high-fat phenotype: is leptin involved in the adaptive response to a high fat (high energy) diet?. International Journal of Obesity 22, 1132–1135.Google Scholar
Cox, DN, Perry, L, Moore, PB, Vallis, L & Mela, DJ (1999) Sensory and hedonic associations with macronutrient and energy intakes of lean and obese consumers. International Journal of Obesity 23, 403–410.Google Scholar
Drewnowski, A, Kurth, C, Holden-Wiltse, J & Saari, J (1992) Food p in human obesity: carbohydrates versus fats. Appetite 18, 207–221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Egger, G & Swinburn, B (1997) An ‘ecological’ approach to the obesity pandemic. British Medical Journal 315, 477–480.Google Scholar
Farooqi, IS, Jebb, SA, Landmack, G, Lawrence, E, Cheetham, CH, Prentice, AM, Hughes, IA, McCamish, MA, O'Rahilly, S (1999) Recombinant leptin induces weight loss in human congenital leptin deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine 341, 879–884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogelholm, M, Mannisto, S, Vartiainen, E & Pietinen, P (1996) Determinants of energy balance and overweight in Finland 1982 and 1992. International Journal of Obesity 20, 1097–1104.Google ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, GR (1997) From individual variation in energy intakes to variations in energy requirements and adaptations to them. British Journal of Nutrition 78, S81-S94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goris, AHC, Westerterp-Platenga, MS & Westerterp, KR (1999) Under-eating and under-recording of habitual food intake in obese men; selective under-reporting of fat intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 69,.Google Scholar
Gregory, JFoster, KTyler, H & & Wiseman, M (1990) The Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults. London, UK: HMSO (The Stationery Office).Google Scholar
Hubert, P, King, NA & Blundell, JE (1998) Uncoupling the effects of energy expenditure and energy intake: appetite response to short-term energy deficit induced by meal omission and physical activity. Appetite 31, 9–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuczmarski, RJ, Flegal, KM, Campbell, SM & Johnson, CL (1994) Increasing prevalence of overweight among US adults. The National Health and Nutrition Surveys, 1960–1991. JAMA 272, 205–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawton, CL, Burley, VJ, Wales, JK & Blundell, JE (1993) Dietary fat and appetite control in obese subjects: weak effects on satiation and satiety. International Journal of Obesity 17, 409–416.Google Scholar
Levine, JA, Eberhardt, NL & Jensen, MD (1999) Role of non-exercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans. Science 283, 212–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lissner, L & Heitmann, BL (1995) Dietary fat and obesity: evidence from epidemiology. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49, 79–90.Google ScholarPubMed
Macdiarmid, JI & Blundell, JE (1997) Dietary under-reporting: what people say about recording their food intake. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51, 199–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macdiarmid, JI & Blundell, JE (1998) Assessing dietary intake: who, what and why of under-reporting. Nutrition Research Reviews 11, 1–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macdiarmid, JI, Cade, JE & Blundell, JE (1996) High and low fat consumers, their macronutrient intake and body mass index: further analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of British Adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, 505–512.Google ScholarPubMed
Macdiarmid, JI, Cade, JE & Blundell, JE (1998) The sugar–fat relationship revisited: differences in consumption between men and women of varying BMI. International Journal of Obesity 22, 1053–1061.Google Scholar
Margetts, BM, Cade, JE & Osmond, C (1989) Comparison of a food frequency questionnaire with a diet record. International Journal of Epidemiology 18, 868–873.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Melanson, KJ, Saltzman, E, Russell, RR & Roberts, S (1997) Fat oxidation in response to four graded energy challenges in younger and older woman. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 860–866.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montague, CT, Farooqi, IS, Whitehead, JP, Soos, MA, Rau, H, Wareham, NJ, Sewter, CP, Digby, JE, Mohammed, SN, Hurst, JA, Cheetham, CH, Earley, AR, Barnett, AH, Prins, JB, O'Rahilly, S (1997) Congenital leptin deficiency is associated with severe early-onset obesity in humans. Nature 387, 903–908.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prentice, AM & Jebb, SA (1995) Obesity in Britain: gluttony or sloth?. British Medical Journal 311, 437–439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ravussin, E, Gautier, J-F (1999) Metabolic predictors of weight gain. International Journal of Obesity 23, 37–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roe, L, Strong, C, Whiteside, C, Neil, A & Mant, D (1994) Dietary intervention in primary care: validity of the DINE method for diet assessment. Family Practice 11, 375–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schrauen, P, van Marken, Lichtenbelt, WD,, Sarin, WMH, & Westerterp, KR (1997) Changes in fat oxidation in response to a high fat diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 276–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spurr, GB, Prentice, AM, Murgatroyd, PR, Goldberg, GR, Reina, JC & Christman, NT (1988) Energy expenditure from minute-by-minute heart rate recording: comparison with indirect calorimetry. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48, 552–559.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willett, WC (1998) Is dietary fat a major determinant of body fat?. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 67, (Suppl. 3), 556S-562S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar