UBC research shows that while research on energy expenditure and dietary intake has grown, studies involving animals are outpacing those done with humans.
While scientific studies about obesity and general health are on the rise, a new analysis has determined that more studies are using animal modelling research than human modelling.
Dr. Sarah Purcell, an assistant professor with UBC’s Southern Medical Program and UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, researches energy metabolism, dietary energy requirements, body composition and obesity. Her latest study reviewed health publications over the past decade, looking specifically for differences between clinical animal research and human studies in the context of rising obesity rates.
“Obesity is now the most prevalent chronic condition in high-income nations and is rapidly rising in low- and middle-income countries as well,” says Dr. Purcell. “Addressing this complex epidemic requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying drivers of energy balance, specifically the difference between dietary intake and energy expenditure.”
Understanding the interplay between these factors is key to developing effective ways to prevent and manage obesity and its associated health issues, she adds. The goal of this paper was to discover publication deficits, knowledge gaps and research funding priorities needed to support global efforts in reducing obesity and related health conditions.
Published recently in Nutrition and Health, the study shows how the science behind obesity research is evolving and that published research using animal models is growing more than twice as fast as human research.
For this study, the researchers reviewed preclinical papers involving people and animals for clinical or biomedical purposes related to energy expenditure and dietary intake, Dr. Purcell explains. This included interventions, longitudinal data, case studies and mathematical modelling.
Co-authored by doctoral student Sarah Craven, the study analyzed some 7,600 peer-reviewed articles published over the past 10 years. More than 4,100 studies focused on animal models and 3,462 on human research. Overall, the number of publications increased each year, with animal research growing by more than 10 per cent and human research at about four per cent.
“Animal studies are growing much faster than human studies, suggesting researchers are increasingly relying on animal models to study metabolism and energy use,” says Craven. “While animal studies are still essential for uncovering insights that cannot be easily studied in humans, some aspects of energy balance research may be better addressed in human studies.”
The slower rate of human research reflects the higher costs, complexity and ethical constraints involved, she suggests.
While it is encouraging that research on energy expenditure and dietary intake has grown, which shows scientific interest in the issue of rising obesity rates, Dr. Purcell says it’s disconcerting that the human studies aren’t keeping pace with animal studies.
“Obesity rates keep rising, and effective prevention and treatment depend on accurately understanding the balance between energy expenditure and dietary intake,” she says. “But we have demonstrated where the gaps are in this field and that human research is lagging. The result could mean that it takes longer to translate those discoveries into real-world nutrition guidance, clinical care and public health policy.”
