Equations to predict estimated energy requirements in children and adolescents

Children with healthy body weight: Use EER

Females 1 to 2.99 years:

EER = –69.15 + (80.0 × age) + (2.65 × height) + (54.15 × weight) + ECG^*

Females 3 to 18.99 years:

Inactive: EER = 55.59 – (22.25 × age) + (8.43 × height) + (17.07 × weight) + ECG^*

Low active: EER = –297.54 – (22.25 × age) + (12.77 × height) + (14.73 × weight) + ECG^*

Active: EER = –189.55 – (22.25 × age) + (11.74 × height) + (18.34 × weight) + ECG^*

Very active: EER = –709.59 – (22.25 × age) + (18.22 × height) + (14.25 × weight) + ECG^*

Males 1 to 2.99 years:

EER = –716.45 – (1.00 × age) + (17.82 × height) + (15.06 × weight) + ECG^*

Males 3 to 18.99 years:

Inactive: EER = –447.51 + (3.68 × age) + (13.01 × height) + (13.15 × weight) + ECG^*

Low active: EER = 19.12 + (3.68 × age) + (8.62 × height) + (20.28 × weight) + ECG^*

Active: EER = –388.19 + (3.68 × age) + (12.66 × height) + (20.46 × weight) + ECG^*

Very active: EER = –671.75 + (3.68 × age) + (15.38 × height) + (23.25 × weight) + ECG^*

Throughout this table, age is in years, weight in kilograms (kg), and height in meters (m). PALs vary substantially across age groups, particularly during the first 20 years of life. Working definitions are outlined below^¶.

ECG: energy cost of growth; EER: estimated energy requirement; PAL: physical activity level; TEE: total energy expenditure.

* ECG accounts for the energy deposited in newly synthesized tissues. Values for ECG are:

Females
- 1 to 2.99 years: ECG = 15
- 3 to 8.99 years: ECG = 15
- 9 to 13.99 years: ECG = 30
- 14 to 18.99 years: ECG = 20

Males
- 1 to 2.99 years: ECG = 20
- 3 to 8.99 years: ECG = 20/15
- 9 to 13.99 years: ECG = 25
- 14 to 18.99 years: ECG = 20

¶ Physical activity categories are:

Inactive – Reflects a level of TEE that includes basal metabolism, thermic effect of food, and a minimal level of physical activity required for independent living.
Low active – Corresponds to a level of physical activity beyond the minimal, involving more ambulation and some occupational and recreational activities.
Active – Involves even more ambulation and occupational or recreational activities. For a 5-year-old child, this category would be reached by walking at 2.5 miles/hour for a total of approximately 90 minutes daily. For a 16-year-old, this category would be reached by walking at this pace for approximately 120 minutes daily, with minor differences by sex.
Very active – Reflects not only the demands of daily living but also vigorous exertion in occupational or recreational activities. For a 5-year-old child, this category would be reached by walking at 2.5 miles/hour for a total of approximately 150 minutes daily. For a 16-year-old, this category can be reached by walking at this pace for a total of approximately 210 minutes daily, with minor differences by sex.

The active or very active categories are usually reached by participation in moderate to vigorous activities (sports, or very active play for younger children), in addition to moderate time walking at 2.5 miles/hour.

Each of these categories corresponds to a PAL factor, which is a multiple of the basal metabolic rate. The PAL associated with each physical activity category increases throughout childhood. The activity level can be estimated more precisely by recording an activity diary and calculating the child's daily by applying the youth metabolic equivalent (METy) to each activity. Refer to UpToDate content on estimation of dietary energy requirements in children.

Data from: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Development of prediction equations for estimated energy requirements. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, National Academies Press 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26818/dietary-reference-intakes-for-energy (Accessed on October 21, 2023).

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Equations to predict estimated energy requirements in children and adolescents