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FAT-FREE MASS IS A PREDICTOR OF ENERGY INTAKE IN YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Hannah Koch1, Jessica McNeil1, Lenka Shriver1, Jessica Dollar1, Susan D. Calkins1, Susan P. Keane1, Lilly Shanahan2, Laurie Wideman1. 1UNC- Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. 2University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that fat-free mass, but not fat mass or body weight, is a strong predictor of total energy intake in adults. Fat-free mass is the largest and most metabolically costly component of body composition, suggesting it is a major driver of energy intake. Additional research is needed to assess this association exclusively in young adults. Objective: The primary goal of this cross-sectional analysis was to assess the association between fat-free mass, fat mass, and body weight with daily energy intake in young adults (M age = 18 years). Design: Data collected as part of the RIGHT Track study, a longitudinal study on growth and development, included assessment of body weight (digital scale), body composition (BodPod), and daily energy intake (three 24-hour dietary recalls) at 18 years of age (n=192; 103 females). Results: A multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that fat-free mass (β = 0.697; p = 0.02), but not fat mass (β = 0.179, p = 0.65) or body weight (β = -0.569, p = 0.29), was a significant predictor of energy intake (R2 = 0.417; p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results are consistent with previous findings, showing that fat-free mass is the strongest predictor of energy intake when exclusively assessed in young adults. Fat-free mass measures, rather than body weight and fat mass, could therefore be used to estimate energy intake more accurately. This research was funded by the NIH (R01 HD078346-01A1).

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