ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025
Energy expenditure and obesity across the economic spectrum.
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Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Combined diet and physical activity effects on health-related outcomes in people with overweight or obesity: an overview of systematic reviews.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Context-specific hypermetabolism in humans with mitochondrial defects.Cell press blue · 2026Article
- IMPA2 ameliorates high-fat diet-induced obesity by enhancing adaptive thermogenesis in a Ca²⁺-activated mitochondrial biogenesis pathway.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Longitudinal and cross-sectional evidence that daily resting and activity energy expenditures are independent in humans.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
- Multidimensional analysis of nutritional status among children under 5 years in Africa, 1990-2024.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Adiposity and cancer: epidemiology, mechanisms and future perspectives.Nature metabolism · 2026Review
- Why Do Humans Exercise? A Neuro-Evolutionary Framework for Discretionary Physical Effort.Evolutionary anthropology · 2026Review
- Regular parental pre-mating exercise reduces offspring white adiposity and is associated with hypothalamic neurodevelopmental changes during lactation.Molecular metabolism · 2026Article
- Obesity as a catalyst for neurodegeneration.Nature metabolism · 2026Review
- Physical activity promotes gut adaptation, nutrient responsiveness, and sensitivity to gut peptides in male mice.EBioMedicine · 2026Article
- Physical activity and cardiometabolic health across an extreme lifestyle gradient.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2026Article
- Despite what we know, physical activity continues to decline: can integrating physical activity and education be a way forward?Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Biological sex differences after high and low doses of influenza A virus infection during obesity.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Development and validation of an explainable machine learning-based risk prediction model for obesity in Chinese children and adolescents: a population-based study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Biological Sex Differences after High and Low Doses of Influenza A Virus Infection in a Diet-induced Obesity Mouse Model.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Reply to Uzoigwe: DLW is safe and validated.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Doubting doubly labeled water.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Beyond Obesity.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Energy metabolism and obesity stratified by BMI: impact on lipid oxidation, a cross-sectional observational study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Parents of children and adolescents knowledge, attitude, and practice toward metabolically healthy obesity: a cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
69 authors.
Amanda McGroskyDepartment of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708.ORCID 0000-0002-1110-4310
Amy LukeDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University, Maywood, IL 60153.ORCID 0000-0001-8484-9439
Leonore ArabDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
Kweku Bedu-AddoDepartment of Physiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST-Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0001-5479-0691
Alberto G BonomiPhillips Research, Eindhoven 5656 AE, The Netherlands.
Pascal BovetUniversity Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-0242-4259
Soren BrageMedical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-1265-7355
Maciej S BuchowskiDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232.
Nancy ButteDepartment of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
Stefan G CampsClinical Nutrition Research Center, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research and National University Health System, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
Regina CasperPsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5723.ORCID 0000-0002-7198-8533
Daniel K CummingsEconomic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866.ORCID 0000-0001-7370-3020
Sai Krupa DasJean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
Sanjoy DebCambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, United Kingdom.
Lara R DugasDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University, Maywood, IL 60153.ORCID 0000-0002-0692-8585
Ulf EkelundDepartment of Sport Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo 0806, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-2115-9267
Terrence ForresterSolutions for Developing Countries, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
Barry W FudgeUniversity of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
Melanie GillinghamDepartment of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239.ORCID 0000-0003-0897-8268
Annelies H GorisOnePlanet Research Center, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-4115-5186
Michael GurvenDepartment of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106.ORCID 0000-0002-5661-527X
Catherine HamblyInstitute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2947-4539
Annemiek JoosenNutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
Peter T KatzmarzykPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.ORCID 0000-0002-9280-6022
Kitty P KempenNutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
William E KrausDepartment of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710.ORCID 0000-0003-1930-9684
Wantanee KriengsinyosInstitute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0001-8262-5095
Rebecca KuriyanDivision of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore 560034, India.ORCID 0000-0002-3864-574X
Robert F KushnerDepartment of Medicine and Medical Education, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611.
Estelle V LambertHealth through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport Research Centre, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
Christel L LarssonDepartment of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-5785-0271
William R LeonardDepartment of Medicine and Medical Education, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611.ORCID 0000-0002-6233-604X
Nader LessanImperial College London Diabetes Centre, PO Box 48338, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Marie LöfDepartment of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2273-4430
Corby K MartinPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.ORCID 0000-0002-8125-4015
Anine C MedinDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0317, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-4154-6264
Marian L NeuhouserDivision of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109.
Kirsi H PietilainenHealthy Weight Hub, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki 00280, Finland.
Guy PlasquiDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
Ross L PrenticeDivision of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109.
Susan B RacetteCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004.ORCID 0000-0002-6932-1887
David A RaichlenBiological Sciences and Anthropology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089.ORCID 0000-0002-4940-7886
Eric RavussinPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.ORCID 0000-0003-2129-547X
Leanne RedmanPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
Rebecca M ReynoldsCentre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6226-8270
Eric B RimmDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115.
Susan RobertsGeisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755.
Asher Y RosingerDepartment of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.ORCID 0000-0001-9587-1447
Mary H SamuelsDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239.
Srishti SinhaDivision of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore 560034, India.ORCID 0000-0001-7000-1816
J Josh SnodgrassDepartment of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403.ORCID 0000-0002-7021-777X
Eric SticePsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5723.ORCID 0000-0002-9632-1540
Ricardo UauyInstitute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile.
Samuel S UrlacherDepartment of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798.ORCID 0000-0002-6489-4117
Jeanine A VerbuntNutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
Bruce WolfeOregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239.ORCID 0000-0002-3373-1198
Brian WoodDepartment of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.ORCID 0000-0002-8187-9429
Xueying ZhangCenter for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
Alexia J Murphy-AlfordNutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna A-1400, Austria.
Cornelia J LoechlNutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna A-1400, Austria.
Jennifer RoodPennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.ORCID 0000-0001-5848-2987
Hiroyuki SagayamaFaculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-9040-7650
Dale A SchoellerBiotech Center and Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.ORCID 0000-0002-5770-3853
Klaas R WesterterpNutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0842-6850
William W WongDepartment of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.ORCID 0000-0002-7147-5850
Yosuke YamadaDepartment of Sports and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-4284-6317
John R SpeakmanInstitute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2457-1823
Herman PontzerDepartment of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708.ORCID 0000-0003-2397-6543
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Funding
Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute - The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C)UL1TR002369 · NCATS · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI Cynthia D Morris, Christopher G. Slatore · 2017 to 2026
$78.4MNutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Study (NPAAS)R01CA119171 · NCI · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER · PI Marian L Neuhouser · 2006 to 2026
$14.3MScience CoreP2CHD065563 · NICHD · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI James Moody · 2015 to 2026
$5.7MChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) CAS 153E11KYSB20190045National Science Foundation (NSF) BCS-1824466NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002369NCI NIH HHS R01 CA119171NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD065563
Abstract
Global economic development has been associated with an increased prevalence of obesity and related health problems. Increased caloric intake and reduced energy expenditure are both cited as development-related contributors to the obesity crisis, but their relative importance remains unresolved. Here, we examine energy expenditure and two measures of obesity (body fat percentage and body mass index, BMI) for 4,213 adults from 34 populations across six continents and a wide range of lifestyles and economies, including hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, farming, and industrialized populations. Economic development was positively associated with greater body mass, BMI, and body fat, but also with greater total, basal, and activity energy expenditure. Body size-adjusted total and basal energy expenditures both decreased approximately 6 to 11% with increasing economic development, but were highly variable among populations and did not correspond closely with lifestyle. Body size-adjusted total energy expenditure was negatively, but weakly, associated with measures of obesity, accounting for roughly one-tenth of the elevated body fat percentage and BMI associated with economic development. In contrast, estimated energy intake was greater in economically developed populations, and in populations with available data (n = 25), the percentage of ultraprocessed food in the diet was associated with body fat percentage, suggesting that dietary intake plays a far greater role than reduced energy expenditure in obesity related to economic development.
Indexed as
Energy MetabolismObesityAdultBody Mass IndexEnergy IntakeFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle Ageddoubly labeled waterenergy expenditureobesityphysical activity
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