Definition of Calorie Count

The calorie has ruled the world of weight control and diet since its association with food and nutrition in the early 1900s. Since then, labeling requirements for food packaging have become more strict, including not only calorie count but also serving size, nutrient content, ingredients and manufacturer information.

History

The term calorie is attributed to Wilbur O. Atwater, who coined the term in 1860 and defined it as "the measure of the amount of energy required to heat one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius" (see reference 2). Today, a calorie is known better as food energy, and that is the measurement used to count calorie intake and expenditure.

Types

Calories come from different places in different amounts. One gram of fat has nine calories, one gram of carbohydrate has four calories and one gram of protein has four calories. Things such as caffeine, minerals and water have no calories. Most food labels list the number of calories that come from fat, but they are not required to display the calorie contribution of other nutrients.

Documentation

The Food and Drug Administration allows for a 20% margin of error on nutrition labels and they also can be rounded up or down to the nearest 10 or 50 calories depending on the serving size (see reference 3). This is due to the variables in food preparation and the inability to get an accurate count that will minimize the variables. Vegetables are grown differently in different parts of the world and in different varieties, so calories and other nutrition facts will always vary.

Benefits

When you become familiar with counting calories and other nutrition facts, it is much easier to monitor and control your body weight. When you can count the calories or food energy you consume, and track the calories you expend through activity, you can take control of your weight. Calories that are consumed but not expended through activity are stored in the body as fat. In contrast, if you expend more calories than you consume, your body will tap into the stored fat as an energy source. So in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, you have to balance your calorie intake with your calorie expenditure and adjust each depending on your current weight and future goals.

Recommended Calorie Sources

It is recommended that 30% of your daily calories come from fats, 55% from carbohydrates, and 15% from protein (see reference 1). This sounds like it would require some pretty tedious calculations, but as long as you are consistently eating foods that are low in fat, and have moderate amounts of carbohydrates and protein, you probably already are doing just fine. If you are overweight, however, it is an indication that your calorie intake and expenditure needs some adjustment.

Creating a Balance

Diet fads have always leaned toward extremes such as no carbs, no fat or high fiber. These sorts of diets may be good for quick, temporary weight loss, but it is difficult to maintain a lifestyle that can support these diets. Counting calories is a more realistic way to control your weight, especially when you track calories consumed and calories expended through exercise. Exercise involving weight training to build muscle will speed up the rate at which your body uses calories because muscles use calories for fuel and repair.

Warning

Prior to starting any new nutrition plan, talk to your doctor about what will work best for your health needs and lifestyle. A physician or nutritionist will be able to provide you with information specific to your current health.

Resources

• Personalized Caloric Needs Calculator
• FDA Labeling Resources