Research

Energy balance

Higher body weight does not necessarily result in a lower Physical Activity Level (PAL); obese individuals often have similar or higher activity-induced energy expenditure (AEE) than lean individuals due to higher movement costs, despite moving less frequently.

Do not assume that because you are overweight, you burn fewer calories during activity than a lean person. Your body burns more energy to move your mass, so your total activity energy expenditure might be similar to someone leaner who moves more frequently. Weight loss requires creating a deficit, not just assuming you 'don't move enough' compared to others.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
A higher weight implicates higher movement costs and less body movement but not necessarily a lower PAL. ... Overweight implies less physical activity, that is less body movement, but because of the larger body weight, the decreased movement still results in similar energy expenditure as subjects with a normal bodyweight.
Klass R. Westerterp · Frontiers in Physiology · 2013

Why this rating

Based on large cohort data (n>600) using the gold-standard doubly labeled water method.

Source

Physical activity and physical activity induced energy expenditure in humans: measurement, determinants, and effects

Klass R. Westerterp · Frontiers in Physiology · 2013

DOI 10.3389/fphys.2013.00090

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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