What's Calories and How Much Do We Need?

Calories become familiar words, especially when you're on a diet. But actually is it a calorie? Why do we need it and how many calories do we need?

Clinical nutrition specialist Samuel Oetoro says calories are actually units of energy. So precisely, the body needs energy in caloric units. Energy needed by the body to carry out its function and move.

"Energy is obtained from food, which is why every food has calories in different amounts," explains Samuel.

The difference in calories from food is determined by the nutritional value that is in it. The highest-calorie-containing nutrient is fat, followed by carbohydrates and protein.

"When compared to the size of one gram, fat contains nine calories, carbohydrates and protein are both four calories," said Samuel.

The determinants of caloric intake

The caloric needs of a person vary depending on several factors, including age, sex, weight, height, and activity. This is because these factors determine the amount of energy the body releases.

Samuel pointed out, for example a healthy adult men usually require an intake of 2,000 calories per day. As age grows, the lower caloric needs will be.

"To determine the exact caloric requirement for each individual, it takes expert calculation, but in general, calorie needs are influenced by these factors," added the doctor who practiced at Siloam Hospital.

Different needs different calorie count

Samuel explains, caloric needs should be sufficient to keep the body functioning normally. It's just that, if you have special needs, such as wanting to raise or lose weight, then the number of calories diasup may be different.

"To reduce weight, one must eat less than caloric needs, otherwise weight gain, but it should not be too drastic because it will interfere with body function." Ideally, weight drops two to four kilograms in a month, "he concluded.