How Many Calories Should We Eat a Day(1)

The number of calories you need to eat each day depends on several factors, including your age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health.
As an example, a physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years, requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in her 70s.
It has been discovered that factors such as how you eat your food can influence how many calories get into your system. The longer you chew your food, the more calories the body retains, a team from Purdue University found.
If you would like to learn more about calories - what they are and what they are important for - you might want to take a look at our Knowledge Center article all about calories. The rest of this article will discuss how your body uses calories and how many your body might need to achieve optimum energy levels
Fast facts on daily calorie intake
Here are some key points about daily calorie intake. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
Recommended calorie intake depends on factors such as age, size, height, sex, lifestyle and overall general health.
The longer you chew your food, the more calories your body retains.
Recommended daily calorie intakes in the US are 2,700 for men and 2,200 for women.
Eating a big breakfast could help with weight reduction and maintenance.
When food is eaten may matter as much as what and how many calories are eaten.
Average calorie consumption in industrialized nations and a growing number of emerging economies is higher than it used to be.
Approximately 20% of the energy used in the human body is for brain metabolism.
Ideal body weight depends on several factors including age, bone density and muscle-fat ratio.
The types of food that calories are acquired from are highly important in terms of nutrition.
A 500-calorie meal consisting of fruits and vegetables is much better for your health and will keep you from being hungry for longer than a 500-calorie snack of popcorn.