Energy use

• In order to maintain a healthy weight, the amount of energy taken into the body must be matched by the amount of energy expended. Energy is measured in calories (kcal) and is obtained from the food we eat
• Calorie


  A unit of measurement for heat or energy production in the body, normally expressed as kcal
• Factors affecting calories required

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Height
  • Energy expenditure
• Age


  People under the age of 25 need more calories than older people because as you age your body replaces muscles with fat and fat burns fewer calories than muscles
• Gender

  • Men tend to require more calories than women because
  • Men tend to have larger skeletons
  • Men tend to have greater muscle mass
• Height


  You need to consume more calories each day the taller you are, this is because taller people have larger skeletons
• Energy expenditure 


  The more exercise you do, the more you need and therefore the more calories you need to consume