250 A BIOMETRIC STUDY OF BASAL METABOLISM IN MAN. 



factory standard is that secured by taking into account the body- 

 weight, stature, and age of the subject in predicting basal metabolism. 

 This method is therefore an extension and modification of the selected 

 group method, employed earlier at the Nutrition Laboratory. In the 

 new method, which we have designated as the multiple-prediction 

 method, we replace the empirical determinations of the metabolism of 

 individuals of specific weight, stature, and age by values given by 

 multiple prediction equations based on the statistical constants of all 

 available normal data. 



These equations have been tabled for both men and women for a 

 range of weight, stature, and age which will be met in practical work 

 with adult subjects, and give a set of multiple prediction tables of stand- 

 ard normal adult basal metabolism constants. 



The illustrations of the practical application of these multiple pre- 

 diction tables show first of all their great usefulness in the detection of 

 differences between series of metabolism measurements. Thus, as 

 far as we are aware, the anomalous nature of the series of determina- 

 tions by Magnus-Levy and Falk and those by Palmer, Means, and 

 Gamble, has heretofore quite escaped the notice of physiologists, and 

 their data have been combined freely with other series for the purpose 

 of generalization. The aberrant nature of these series becomes evident 

 as soon as comparison of the actual measurements with the theoretical 

 values from the multiple prediction tables is made. 



The use of the tables shows the clear differentiation of athletes and 

 diabetics from other individuals in their metabolic level, thus confirm- 

 ing conclusions already drawn at the Nutrition Laboratory. 



The use of the standards shows the existence of a well-marked 

 differentiation in the level of metabolism of men and women, and shows 

 that the differences are persistent throughout adult life instead of 

 disappearing in later years as maintained by Sonden and Tigerstedt. 

 There is no evidence for such differentiation in new-born infants. 



While the novelty of the conception underlying these standards 

 will probably limit somewhat their immediate adoption by physiolo- 

 gists, the illustrations show that for purposes of more refined analysis 

 they have great practical value. We believe that ultimately the great 

 convenience of these multiple prediction tables will result in their 

 general adoption as standards of reference in all work on human 

 nutritional physiology. 



When larger series of basal data are available we expect to revise 

 these tables so that they may represent the broadest and most secure 

 foundation for comparative nutritional investigation. 



