How many calories do we need each day?
The human body needs calories to survive, without energy our cells would die, our hearts and lungs would stop, and we would perish. We acquire this energy from food and drink.
If we consume just the number of calories our body needs each day, every day, we will probably enjoy happy and healthy lives. If our calorie consumption is too low or too high, we will eventually experience health complications.
The number of calories food contains tells us how much potential energy they posses. Below are the calorific values of the three main components of the food we eat:
1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories
1 gram of protein contains 4 calories
1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
If we consume just the number of calories our body needs each day, every day, we will probably enjoy happy and healthy lives. If our calorie consumption is too low or too high, we will eventually experience health complications.
The number of calories food contains tells us how much potential energy they posses. Below are the calorific values of the three main components of the food we eat:
1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories
1 gram of protein contains 4 calories
1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
Not everybody requires the same number of calories each day. Our ideal calorific consumption depends on several factors, including our overall general health, physical activity demands, sex, weight, height, and shape. A 6ft tall, 25-year-old professional soccer player needs many more calories each day than a 5ft 4ins sedentary woman aged 75.
Health authorities around the world find it hard to agree on how many calories their citizens should ideally consume. The US government says the average man requires 2,700 calories per day and the average woman 2,200, while the NHS (National Health Service), UK, says it should be 2,500 and 2,000 respectively.
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the United Nations says the average adult should consume no less than 1,800 calories per day.
Health authorities around the world find it hard to agree on how many calories their citizens should ideally consume. The US government says the average man requires 2,700 calories per day and the average woman 2,200, while the NHS (National Health Service), UK, says it should be 2,500 and 2,000 respectively.
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the United Nations says the average adult should consume no less than 1,800 calories per day.
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