Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24447775›Full record

ReviewObesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity2014

Weight loss composition is one-fourth fat-free mass: a critical review and critique of this widely cited rule.

S B Heymsfield, M C C Gonzalez, W Shen, L Redman, D Thomas

Registry-linked trialAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06933823 (Dietary Modification Intervention Involving Family Support), which is not on this map. Cited by 190 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
190citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
8.2field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06933823 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Dietary Modification Intervention Involving Family Support (FamNUTRI) for Managing Sarcopenic Obesity Among Community-dwelling Older Adults: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled72ConditionsSarcopenic ObesityArmsDietary modification intervention involving family support, Dietary modification intervention
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

190 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 312 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Expert-based physical activity guidelines for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery · 2025
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130 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

S B HeymsfieldPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, USA.
M C C Gonzalez
W Shen
L Redman
D Thomas
Pennington Biomedical Research Center · USMontclair State University · USSt. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center · USUniversidade Católica de Pelotas · BR

Funding

Expecting Success: Personalized management of body weight during pregnancyU01DK094418 · NIDDK · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · PI REDMAN, LEANNE MAREE · 2011 to 2015
$2.8M
Effects of weight and insulin sensitivity on reproductive function in PCOSR00HD060762 · NICHD · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · PI REDMAN, LEANNE MAREE · 2011 to 2013
$717k
A Computational Model to Determine Energy Intake During Weight LossR15DK090739 · NIDDK · MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY · PI THOMAS, DIANA MARIA · 2011 to 2011
$303k
NICHD NIH HHS R00 HD060762NICHD NIH HHS R00HD060762NIDDK NIH HHS R15 DK090739NIDDK NIH HHS R15DK090739NIDDK NIH HHS U01 DK094418
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Maximizing fat loss while preserving lean tissue mass and function is a central goal of modern obesity treatments. A widely cited rule guiding expected loss of lean tissue as fat-free mass (FFM) states that approximately one-fourth of weight loss will be FFM (i.e. ΔFFM/ΔWeight = ∼0.25), with the remaining three-fourths being fat mass. This review examines the dynamic relationships between FFM, fat mass and weight changes that follow induction of negative energy balance with hypocaloric dieting and/or exercise. Historical developments in the field are traced with the 'Quarter FFM Rule' used as a framework to examine evolving concepts on obesity tissue, excess weight and what is often cited as 'Forbes' Rule'. Temporal effects in the fractional contribution of FFM to changes in body weight are examined as are lean tissue moderating effects such as ageing, inactivity and exercise that frequently accompany structured low-calorie diet weight loss protocols. Losses of lean tissue with dieting typically tend to be small, raising questions about study design, power and applied measurement method reliability. Our review elicits important questions related to the fractional loss of lean tissues with dieting and provides a foundation for future research on this topic.

Indexed as

Body CompositionEnergy MetabolismWeight LossAdipose TissueAgingCaloric RestrictionExerciseHomeostasisHumansNutritional Physiological PhenomenaObesityReproducibility of ResultsThinnessWeight GainBody compositionenergy expendituremathematical modelobesity

Identifiers

PMID24447775
PMCPMC3970209
OpenAlexW1920410436

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.