Clinical Controversies Adjusted Body Weight, Con: Why Adjust Body Weight in

ABSTRACT: Evaluation of energy requirements of nor-mal individuals and hospitalized patients is most often accomplished using an energy equation. Energy equations attempt to measure resting metabolic rate (RMR), the largest factor in total daily energy expenditure. Compo-nents of most energy equations include height, weight, age, and gender. These factors are related to energy expenditure; however, each factor has individual charac-teristics that affect energy expenditure. Body weight is a major factor in RMR and total daily energy expenditure. For obese individuals, estimation of energy expenditure may be a challenge due to the increased body weight. Therefore, some equations attempt to minimize the effect of body weight on energy expenditure assessment by adjusting the obese individual’s body weight. Data do no