Energy Intake of Well-Nourished Children and Adolescents

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Abstract
Data are presented from studies of 715 well-nourished children and adolescents, 1-20 years of age, carried on at the University of Chicago. The oxycalorimeter was used to determine the energy values of diets. A set of factors is proposed for reducing total heat values obtained by the oxycalorimeter to their physiological equivalents. The data obtained by the oxycalorimeter averaged about 10% lower than those obtained by calculation. The mean total energy intakes of both boys and girls per day were found to increase with age and with increased body size, whether measured by weight, height, or surface area. The rate of increase appeared to coincide with the rate of growth. The mean energy intakes of boys were higher than those of girls at every age and in every size bracket. The relationships were definitely closer in every case between total intake and measures of body size than with age. Intakes of older adolescent girls were lower than those of the same age or size who were still growing. The energy intakes of children per unit of weight decreased with age, those per unit of height increased somewhat, and those per unit of surface area remained constant through puberty. The relationship between energy intake and body size was improved by adding age as a third factor in case of the intake per centimeter by girls and per square meter by boys. Total calories referred to height or calories per unit of height per age would seem to be the indices preferable for use in determining need. Children of the same age and size do not necessarily need time same amounts of food.