Abstract: ‘Desktop’ indirect calorimetry has been demonstrated to be a robust alternative to the traditional ‘metabolic cart’ indirect calorimetry in the measurement of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and can be used effectively for the validation of RMR prediction equations. RMR prediction equations need to be population specific due to ethnic variation in body composition. Currently, RMR equations validated against a reference method do not exist for Sri Lankans.