How many calories do you need? Use three methods discussed in the chapter to estimate daily energy requirement. What factors would increase or decrease the number of calories you need to eat in a day?

To discuss: The amount of calories needed by the individual.

Introduction: Energy is needed by the body to perform daily activities, maintain basal metabolic rates, and other biological functions. The energy requirement of an individual refers to the minimum amount of energy that is required by the body to function. This is measured in terms of calories which is derived from food.

An individual required approximately 15 calories per pound of body weight to maintain a healthy condition. Hence, the number of calories required by an individual is equal to the body weight expressed in pounds multiplied by 15.

For example, if an individual weighs 120 pounds, the amount of calories needed by the individual is calculated below.

Amount of calories=15

To discuss: The three methods to estimate daily energy requirement of an individual.

Introduction: Energy requirement of an individual refers to the minimum amount of energy that is required by the body to function. Since the activity profile of an individual is perpetually dynamic, there are fluctuations in energy requirements throughout the day. This is precisely the reason why the daily energy requirement cannot be exactly resolved, instead, an estimate is being made based on the individual’s activity, basal metabolic rates, and the thermic effect of food

To discuss: The factors that would increase or decrease the number of calories needed in a day by an individual.

Introduction: The energy requirement can be measured by the number of calories needed by the individual. There may be situations when the body requires more calories and when it would require less. This directly affects the number of calories required in a day by an individual.