OBJECTIVES To determine the resting metabolic rate in a sample of the Italian population, and to evaluate the validity of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate (RMR) from the literature in normal and obese subjects. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. SETTINGS Department of Human Physiology and Nutrition, University 'Tor Vergata', Rome. SUBJECTS A total of 320 healthy subjects, 127 males and 193 females, aged 18-59 y. METHODS Weight, height and resting metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry were measured. Resting metabolic rate was also predicted using equations from the literature. RESULTS Resting metabolic rate (mean s.d.) in normal weight subjects was 7983+/-1007 kJ/24 h (males) and 6127 907 kJ/24h (females). Measured RMR and predicted RMR values using various equations from the literature were significantly different in males and females, except for the Harris-Benedict equation and the Schofield equations. Also, in overweight and obese subjects the prediction error was generally larger compared to normal-weight subjects for all formulas except for the Harris-Benedict and Schofield formulas. In overweight and obese males but not in females, RMR was lower than in normal-weight subjects after correcting for weight and age differences. Stepwise multiple regression of resting metabolic rate against weight, height and age in males and females did not reveal a prediction formula with a lower prediction error than the Harris-Benedict or Schofield formulas and thus was not further explored. CONCLUSIONS The Harris-Benedict formula and the Schofield formula provide a valid estimation of resting metabolic rate at a group level in both normal-weight and overweight Italians. However, the individual error can be so high that for individual use a measured value has to be preferred over an estimated value.

中文翻译：

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测量和预测18-59岁的意大利男性和女性的静息代谢率。

目的确定正常人群和肥胖人群中意大利人群样本中的静息代谢率，并评估文献中静息代谢率（RMR）预测方程的有效性。设计横断面观察研究。地点罗马“ Tor Vergata”大学人体生理与营养系。受试者共320名健康受试者，男127例，女193例，年龄18-59岁。方法采用间接量热法测定体重，身高和静息代谢率。还使用文献中的方程式预测了静息代谢率。结果正常体重受试者的静息代谢率（平均值±标准偏差）为7983 +/- 1007 kJ / 24 h（男性）和6127 907 kJ / 24h（女性）。除了哈里斯-本尼迪克特方程式和斯科菲尔德方程式外，男性和女性使用各种方程式测得的RMR值和RMR预测值均存在显着差异。同样，在超重和肥胖受试者中，除Harris-Benedict和Schofield公式外，所有公式的预测误差通常都比正常体重受试者大。校正体重和年龄差异后，在超重和肥胖的男性而非女性中，RMR低于正常体重的受试者。男性和女性静息代谢率相对于体重，身高和年龄的逐步多元回归并未显示出比Harris-Benedict或Schofield公式具有更低预测误差的预测公式，因此未作进一步探讨。结论在正常体重和超重意大利人中，Harris-Benedict公式和Schofield公式可有效估计群体水平的静息代谢率。但是，个体误差可能很高，以至于对于个体使用而言，测量值必须比估计值更好。