Expenditure and storage of energy in man

Abstract

We have described two counterbalancing mechanisms that affect energy balance in man. The one tends to limit storage of energy as fat by promoting the dissipation of nonessential dietary calories and tends to preserve mobility. It appears to be largely under control of the sympathetic nervous system. The other promotes storage of dietary fat in the form of fat, and tends to protect in time of famine. These two mechanisms operate in varying proportions in the heterogeneous animal that is man. The predominance of the second mechanism of fat storage and the insulin resistance that often accompanies it is associated with modern lifestyles and is closely related to the byproducts of obesity, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Continued research into the factors controlling these two main mechanisms is therefore of prime importance.