Dieters may get a break on calories

[The Straight Story]

Dieters may get a break on calories


LONDON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Dieters counting calories may be able to lighten up and allow themselves that slice of cake or a cheeseburger, British scientists say.

A study by nutrition experts says the current recommended daily calorie intake -- 2,000 for women and 2.500 for men -- could be upped by 16 percent, The Times of London reported Saturday.

That means some adults could consume an extra 400 calories a day without weight gain, the study by Britain's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition said. The report utilizes an improved measure of the amount of calories burned off in physical activity, the committee said.

About 60 percent of adults in Britain are overweight as a result of overeating and lack of exercise, the Times reported, and the cost to the National Health Service is estimated at 4.2 billion pounds ($7 billion) a year.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/11/14/Dieters-may-get-a-break-on-calories/UPI-50581258240775/

[endless october]

1. i'm not a dietician, but i disagree somewhat.

if you're working a sedentary job and not exercising, i wouldn't recommend adding 400 cals per day to your diet unless you don't care about gaining weight.

[Statistical]

2. +1 I wonder about the logic of up caloric intake.

First of the 2000/2500 isn't a magic number. Everyones metobolism, life style, and caloric burn is different.

However 2000/2500 is an average. Since amount of caloric burn is going down (information technology, modern transportation) the idea that we can consume 400 more calories seems suspect.

IF anything as modern life requires less and less physical output likely caloric intake will need to go down.

Calories in = calories out -> no weight change
Calories in > calories out -> weight gain
Calories in < calories out -> weight loss

The hard part is getting accurate count of
a) usable calories in (body can't use all calories some are "wasted"/flushed
b) actual caloric burn rate.

[paulsby]

3. one thing has to be understood about calories

the concept of calories is based on the ASSUMPTION that all forms of heat (calories, fwiw what we call calories are actually kilocalories, but i digress) as measured in a bomb calorimeter are equal as metabolized by the body.

CLEARLY, that isn't true in some respects (for example non-nutritive fiber), but it's a decent APPROXIMATION.

many people fail to grasp this. most nutritionists and dieticians, by know, do - i hope.