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Adjusted or Ideal Body Weight for Nutrition Assessment

Many of the resting metabolic rate, or RMR, equations that are used today by registered dietitian nutritionists are based on actual body weight.

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Many of the resting metabolic rate, or RMR, equations that are used today by registered dietitian nutritionists are based on actual body weight. Research evaluating the use of adjusted body weight, or ABW, has been shown to underestimate or overestimate RMR depending on the patient’s weight status. Reasoning behind using an ABW with individuals who weigh less than 95% or more than 115% of a standard body weight was based on the assumption that adipose tissue is inert; however, research to justify this assumption lacks evidence.

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