What are calories?

What are calories


Calories are energy obtained from the food and drinks consumed.

Calorie needs are influenced by age and daily activities. Excess calories from food and drink consumption will be stored as body fat.

If the body lacks calorie intake, it will use the calorie supply from the body.

If the body consumes excess calories, it will be stored in the body and body fat will accumulate.

According to the National Health Service, as a reference the calorie requirement for adult men is 2,500 kcal and the calorie requirement for adult women is 2,000 kcal.

Our bodies need energy to survive and carry out organ functions.

The balance between calorie intake and daily activities will keep the body ideal.

Knowing the calorie content in food and beverages plays an important role in maintaining the availability of energy in the body.

For packaged foods and drinks, it will be easier to know the calorie content

Factors Affecting Energy Needs

The amount of energy required will depend on:

Your age – Growing children and teens will need a lot of energy.

Your size – your height and weight will affect how quickly you use energy

Activity – how strenuous your activity is will determine how much energy you need

Hormones – some hormones in the body can affect the amount of energy used such as thyroid hormone

Medications – some drugs affect the amount of energy needed such as glucocoticoids, a type of steroid used for inflammation

Calorie Type

Calories are divided into 3 types, namely small calories, large calories and empty calories.

Small calories have units of cal. Large calories have units of kcal. While empty calories are harmful to the health of the body.

Small calorie(cal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram(g) of water by 1° Celsius (°C)

Large calorie(kcal) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram(Kg) of water by 1° Celsius(°C). Also known as kilocalories.

Empty calories are foods that we consume contain little nutritional value, even almost no protein, minerals, fiber and vitamins.

According to choosemyplate.gov(USDA), empty calories are found in solid fat with added sugar.

Solid fats are usually found in meat fat, butter and solid oils. Meanwhile, added sugar is a sweetener added to processed foods and beverages

The Role of Calories in the Body

The human body needs energy to survive. As it is known that the body's cells work by requiring energy intake.

The minimum amount of energy needed by the body for the organs and systems in it to work properly is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). This energy is obtained from food and drink intake.

Low or high calorie intake can affect the health of the body.

High calorie intake will cause excess energy. That will make the excess energy stored in the body in the form of fat. If body fat accumulates it will cause various diseases such as heart disease.

Likewise, if the calorie intake is low, it will cause work disorders in the body's organs. And eventually will cause some disease.

How to Calculate Calorie Needs

The most widely used formula for calculating calorie needs is the Harris Benedict formula. This formula is calculated based on age, gender, weight and height.

For men: (88.4 + 13.4 × weight in kilograms) + (4.8 × height in centimeters) – (5.68 × age in years)

For women: (447.6 + 9.25 × weight in kilograms) + (3.10 × height in centimeters) – (4.33 × age in years)

The results of the BMR calculation are then multiplied by the person's average daily activity number. This figure ranges from 1.2 – 1.9. The less often the activity, the smaller the range of activity numbers.

As an approximation the range of daily activity figures is as follows:

For people who are inactive (never or very rarely exercise): BMR x 1.2

For moderately active people (light exercise 1-3 days a week): BMR x 1.375

For moderately active people (exercise moderate intensity 3-5 days a week): BMR x 1.55

For very active people (exercising vigorously 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725

For people who are extra active (exercising very vigorously 6-7 days a week or working in fields that require stamina and physical strength): BMR x 1.9

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