Activity, Energy Expenditure and Energy Requirements of Infants and Children (International Dietary Energy Consultative Group - IDECG, 1989, 412 pages): Energy cost of communicable diseases in infancy and childhood: 4. Reduced activity

Activity, Energy Expenditure and Energy Requirements of Infants and Children (International Dietary Energy Consultative Group - IDECG, 1989, 412 pages)

Energy cost of communicable diseases in infancy and childhood

		(introductory text...)
		Abstract
		1. Introduction
		2. Variation in morbidity from infectious disease
		3. Effects of infection on energy status
		4. Reduced activity
		5. Energy requirements for recovery from infection
		6. Anabolic response
		References
		Discussion (summarized by B. Schürch)

4. Reduced activity

TORUN and VITERI (1981) observed the dietary intake and activity of a group of children fed ad libitum in a convalescent home with facilities for active play. When they lowered their food intake by 10%, the children promptly reduced their physical activity sufficiently to come into energy balance. With a 20% reduction in calories, growth was also affected.

Children who are sick spontaneously decrease their activity and may be confined to bed. This represents a reduction in energy requirement that carries no biological penalty over a limited period. The average requirements are 1.1 x BMR for Lying down, 1.2 x BMR for sitting, 1.4 x BMR for standing and 2.2 x BMR for walking or moving about. Assuming 4 hours of sitting and 2 hours of standing instead of 6 hours of walking and other play activity, the energy savings of 15% would help to compensate for some of the factors increasing requirements.