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Q: How many calories would I need per day in order to maintain my current weight?
A: The amount of energy required to maintain the basic functions of the body is referred to as the basal energy expenditure (BEE). As a rule of thumb, the number of calories required by a healthy individual to keep his or her weight is about 35 kilocalories per kilogram body weight. To lose weight, about 25 kilocalories per kilogram body weight or less should be provided, while to gain weight about 35 kilocalories per kilogram body weight should be provided. Quite generally, the total energy required by an individual, taking the level of physical activity into account and the presence of a medical condition may be estimated from BEE by multiplying it by a numerical factor depending on the level of physical activity and the degree of stress. This factor usually ranges between 0.8 and 1.8, depending on the particular conditions.
There are a set of equations referred to as the Harris-Benedict equations, which relate BEE to gender, height, age, and weight. These equations read as follow:
Male: BEE (kilocalories) = 66 + (13.7) times weight in kilograms + 5times height in centimeters-6.8 times age in years
Female: BEE (kilocalories = 655 + 9.6 times weight in kilograms+1.85 times height in centimeters – 4.7 times age in years.
Updated: 02/28/99
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