Calorie Facts

And now, some calorie facts. Calories are invisible, intangible things that we count and covet. They are the key component to most diets, food guides and the deciding factor in how many cookies we can eat without guilt. The more calories you eat, the more weight you gain.

A calorie is . . .

A unit of energy. First described in the 1800s, a calorie is technically the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. But in the health and nutrition world, a calorie is the potential energy in food and the amount of energy the body uses, according to the American Dietetic Assn.’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.

How many calories you need per day depends on a variety of factors (age, gender, height, weight, daily activities, etc.), but an estimated recommended caloric intake per day for an adult male is 2500-2800 cal, an adult female 2000 cal and children 1750-1950 cal.

Do you know that our calorie consumption is going up and the average American eats 300 more calories than they did in 1985? Would you believe that on third of Americans get 47 percent of their calories from junk food?

The infographic shows useful data on the caloric intake of different nations, fast food caloric count, burning calories, and some shocking calorie facts. Study this informative infographic and encourage your students to be more responsible when choosing what to eat.