What is a Calorie: Daily Food Energry Needs
Understanding Calories & The Balance at the Heart of Body Weight
Calories are all about energy. One calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise one liter of water one degree Celsius. In food, a calorie is a little burst of energy that, rather than heating water, fuels thoughts, movements and every other operation in the physical body.
The phrase “this cookie has 210 calories” actually means, to someone with a bioscience background, “this cookie has 210 kilo-calories”, or 210,000 calories in the water heating terms just described. For kitchen purposes stick to the accepted layman’s calorie, but know that it’s an abbreviation.
Why be Calorie Conscious?
In America and increasingly all over the world, overweight and obesity are epidemic. That’s more than a cosmetic concern, as overweight increases the risk for a wide variety of life-threatening illnesses and even early death.
Measuring Weight
Overweight is determined by two initial measurements; height and body weight. A measure often used in discussing weight is BMI (body mass index), a comparison of body weight to height. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a good online BMI calculator.
Obesity is an epidemic today. Because so many people struggling with the issue, there are more places to find information and help. A great place to gather information and get started on a healthy weight lifestyle is the NIH Aim for a Healthy Weight website.
Improving lifestyle and reaching a healthy natural weight are major life changes that do not happen overnight, but are possible. People do it all the time, but don’t believe promises that it is easy. Every single person is worth the effort it takes to have a healthy weight and life.
Energy Balance and Body Weight
Overweight is in good measure an energy imbalance condition. Here is the basic energy balance equation:
- Energy in (food eaten) – Energy out (what the body uses in movement and maintaining body functions) = Weight gain or loss
Eating more calories than the body needs will trigger weight gain. Eating fewer calories will facilitate weight loss. Sounds simple, right? Well, the devil’s in the details as far as weight goes. There are a wide variety of factors that feed into one side or the other of the energy balance equation, including how an individual handles stress, what type of food is available, family history and a variety of other factors.
Daily Energy Needs
The number of calories an individual needs each day depends upon current weight, level of activity and a variety of other factors. The American Cancer Society has an easy calorie needs estimator that’s a great place to start. Most nutritionists advise running an approximately 500 calorie deficit of calories from maintenance needs each day for safe weight loss. That is, either eat fewer calories or use more energy as physical activity. A Registered Dietitian or other qualified nutritionist can help with ideas on how to ease into a successful weight management program.
Remember that calorie counting and calorie needs are both estimates, and are best used as a guide rather than the last word in the best food choices. By learning a few basic ways of reducing excess calories without losing the flavors and textures of favorite foods, as in this article on Trimming High Calorie Recipes, good health and a satisfying diet need not be mutually exclusive.
