Abstract
THE DESIRE to be slim constitutes a strong social feature in the United Kingdom. A common characteristic of slimming experiences is the large and unexplained individual variation in slimming 'suc cess', in response to similar reducing diets. A major underlying cause of this variation is the large individual variability in energy output or loss due to the resting metabolic rate (RMR) and this study set out to measure this quantum of variability amongst a group of 25 young people.
The coefficient of variation between the 25 volun teers was 22% when R.M.R. is expressed as Kcal/24 hours and nearly 17% if expressed as Kcal/24 hours/kg body weight. The regression of R. M. R. on bodyweight gave a correlation coefficient of r = 0.709; thus r = 0.503 indicating that in this investigation approximately 50% of total variability in R.M.R. between individuals is accounted for by differences in body weight. How ever, two females similar in body weight, age and height differed in R.M.R. by nearly 50%. Coefficients of variation within the same individual on different occasions were about 9% in both individuals studied, and tests showed a significant difference between the highest and lowest values within each subject. Thus a given individual does not necessarily possess a fixed and unchanging metabolic rate. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to 'success' in slimming.
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