How many calories do you need a day?

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How many calories do you need a day?: "

Is it really a surprise that people don’t have a clue about how many calories they should consume each day?

After all, there are many factors to consider when computing your own personal “number”: gender, age, weight, height and your level of physical activity. And the government’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines are so vague (for instance, grouping those ages 31-50) they’re not much help.

A new survey by International Food Information Council Foundation, a food-education group funded by the food and beverage industry, shows just how little Americans know about this unit of measurement. Only 12 percent of the 1,024 people surveyed could accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume each day. Forty-three percent did not know, and another 35 percent ventured a guess but were wildly off, saying 1,000 calories or fewer. (Even for those on a diet, you should consume at least 1,200 calories a day.)

Essentially, you need to consume the same number of calories you burn to maintain your weight. To lose a pound a week, run a “deficit” of 500 calories. SELF magazine has one of the better calorie-counting tools out there. Enter your weight, age and activity level (there are four of those — sedentary, slightly active, moderately active and very active; still a little vague, but this will get you in the ballpark). According to this, I can take in 2,925 calories a day to stay at my current weight (ugh). If I want to lose a pound a week, I should consume only 2,425 a day. By contrast, a 50-year-old, 130-pound sedentary woman needs only 1,330 calories to maintain.

The survey isn’t all grim news. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they’re trying to lose or maintain their weight. Also, 53 percent are concerned about the level of sodium in their diet and are more likely to pay attention to labels.

More on calories:

How many calories do you need a day? is a post from: Healthy Living

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