Science
Knowledge is power! Here's our guide to
technical talk about food.
The amount of energy people require varies
widely depending on several factors including
age, body size, gender and the amount of
physical activity they do.
In order to maintain body weight, the amount
of energy provided by the diet should match
the amount that is used by the body.
The Essentials
Like all working machines, the body needs a
supply of energy to keep it going.
These days energy is expressed in kilojoules (kJ)
but was previously expressed in calories
(1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4.184 kJ).
This energy is derived from nutrients in food:
1g carbohydrate = 16 kJ (or 3.75 kcal)
1g protein = 17 kJ (or 4 kcal)
1g fat = 37 kJ (or 9 kcal)
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