Energy balance
Low baseline rates of energy expenditure and low fat oxidation predict future body weight gain, and low fat oxidation specifically predicts weight gain independently of energy expenditure.
If you tend to burn fewer calories at rest or prefer burning carbohydrates over fat, you may be predisposed to gain weight. This is a biological risk factor, not a moral failing. Awareness of this can help you tailor your diet and activity to counteract these tendencies.
Several (2–7), but not all (8 –10), prospective studies have shown that a relatively low energy expenditure (2–5) and a relatively high respiratory quotient, i.e. a low fat to carbohydrate oxidation rate (6, 7) predict body weight gain.
Why this rating
Based on multiple prospective studies cited and the current longitudinal data confirming the relationship.
Source
Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation, and Body Weight Regulation: A Study of Metabolic Adaptation to Long- Term Weight Change
Christian Weyer et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2000
DOI 10.1210/jcem.85.3.6447
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →