Research

Energy balance

Predictive equations for Resting Energy Expenditure (Mifflin, Harris-Benedict, Derumeaux, WHO) significantly overestimate individual REE in adolescents with severe obesity, rendering them clinically unreliable for prescribing specific caloric deficits.

Do not rely on standard online calculators or clinic formulas to determine your daily calorie limit if you are an adolescent with severe obesity. These tools often overestimate your energy needs by a significant margin (sometimes nearly double), leading to failed weight loss or unhealthy restriction. Focus on sustainable lifestyle habits and professional guidance rather than precise calorie counting based on these flawed estimates.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Despite a correlation between mREE using indirect calorimetry and eREE using the Deru, MS, HB, and WHO equations, there is significant over-estimation of REE at the individual level, challenging their clinical utility.
Frances Rickard et al. · Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2019

Why this rating

Cross-sectional study with N=64 and longitudinal subset N=12; robust statistical analysis (Bland-Altman) but limited generalizability due to small surgical cohort.

Source

Comparison of Measured and Estimated Resting Energy Expenditure in Adolescents and Young Adults With Severe Obesity Before and 1 Year After Sleeve Gastrectomy

Frances Rickard et al. · Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2019

DOI 10.3389/fped.2019.00037

cross_sectional · n=64Cited 9×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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