This pilot study suggests that minimal interventions may be a method to reach populations that do not have access to more intensive treatments for weight management.

Objective: To examine differences in resting energy expenditure (REE) between black and white smokers in order to determine whether REE might contribute to postcessation weight gain. Design: Cross-sectional and prospective investigation of ethnic differences in REE. Differences in REE between black and white smokers were examined at baseline while all participants were smoking, and again during 2 weeks of abstinence from smoking. Setting: Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Subjects: Sixty-six black and 112 white smokers (age 30.4 y; cigarettes per day 21.4; weight 71.7 kg; body mass index 24.5 kgam 2 ). Results: Black smokers had a signi®cantly lower baseline REE after adjusting for gender and body weight. Changes in REE following smoking cessation did not differ by ethnicity. Conclusions: These results suggest that black smokers may be more energy ef®cient, which could contribute to ethnic differences in postcessation weight gain.