Underestimation of energy intake by 3-d records compared with energy intake to maintain body weight in 269 nonobese adults

Underestimation of energy intake by 3-d records compared with energy intake to maintain body weight in 269 nonobese adults.

de Vries JH, Zock PL, Mensink RP, Katan MB.

Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen Agricultural University, Netherlands.

We assessed how accurately participants in dietary trials reported their free-living energy intake. We compared self-reported energy intake, calculated from 3-d food records, with actual intakes needed to maintain body weight during controlled trials lasting 6-9 wk. In 269 free-living healthy male (n = 119) and female (n = 150) adults with mean body weights close to ideal values (mean +/- SD body mass index in kg/m2, 22.1 +/- 2.4), energy intake reported in food records was 1.2 +/- 1.6 MJ/d (277 +/- 378 kcal/d) lower than actual energy requirements during the experiments. The relative bias was significantly smaller (P = 0.01) for men (-8.0 +/- 13.4%) than for women (-12.2 +/- 13.7%). Body mass index, daily energy intake, and age were not significantly related to the extent of underestimation. We conclude that food records systematically underestimate energy needs in young, nonobese well-educated adults