Research paper
Schoeller DA. Limitations in the assessment of dietary energy intake by self-report. Metabolism. 1995 Feb;44(2 Suppl 2):18-22. doi:10.1016/0026-0495(95)90204-X. PMID: 7869932.
Why we cite it
Foundational paper demonstrating that dietary self-report methods systematically and substantially underestimate actual energy intake, validated against the doubly labeled water (DLW) gold standard. Establishes that both weighed and estimated dietary records are unreliable, with especially large biases in obese populations. Relevant to the project’s skepticism toward self-reported dietary data and its emphasis on objective measurement over subjective food diaries.
About the author
Dale A. Schoeller, PhD: Professor Emeritus, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Director, Isotope Ratio Laboratory, UW-Madison Biotechnology Center. PhD Chemistry and Geochemistry, Indiana University. First investigator to use the doubly labeled water (DLW) method for measuring total energy expenditure in humans (1982). ~55,400 citations. Past President, American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Awards: Mead Johnson Award, Herman Award for Clinical Research, O.W. Atwater Award, Friends of Mickey Stunkard Lifetime Achievement Award.