Making Calories Count
Calories are a central component of dieting rules
Calories reduce the value of food to a number based on how much energy it provides. But that doesn't take any account of how your body processes that energy or your individual metabolism, which varies according to age,weight, size, genetics etc.
Whilst published daily guidelines tried to account of those factors by setting different limits for men and women, they are based on averages. We know that there is a vast spectrum of sizes and activity levels which can’t be accounted for by biological sex alone.
Whilst some dieting groups, rebranded calories into points or syns, it still focuses the outward value of the food on a number and continues the premise that dieting can be addressed by energy in and energy out.
All calories are not created equal.
Food has more of an intrinsic value that the energy it provides. This takes no account of the nutritional quality, providing us with different nutrients. Put simply the energy provided by a Mars Bar does not give you the same nutrients as a couple of poached eggs on toast with avocado, which is around the same number of calories. Calories from protein are not the same as calories from sugar.
Food with so called ‘empty-calories’, are often high-energy but low nutritional value, often leaving us unsatisfied and craving more after consumption.
Why then, is the strategy to target obesity to put the calorie value of food on menus? There is little evidence suggest that such an approach reduces calorific intake or obesity levels. It adversely affects people with eating disorders and does not have a positive impact on people who want to lose weight.
The value of food cannot be reduced to a number
Although calories were introduced as a simple framework to manage dietary intake, this takes no account of the activity level of the individual or the timing of consumption. Eating a kitkat before going on an active walk does not have the same impact on the body as eating one prior to going to bed. Even though fitness trackers and apps may be sophisticated enough to translate our activity into an output value to counter the calories consumed, this still simplifies calories consumed as equivalent to those used.
Let’s remember that these arbitrary numbers take no consideration of individual preferences, activities, or needs. There is little point opting for the lowest number on the menu, only to descend into a snack spiral later to compensate the earlier deprivation.
The value we assign to eating goes beyond the energy or nutritional content.
The psychological, social, and economic factors influencing food choices is considerable. There is an emotional aspect, the need for nourishment and the sustainability of our choices beyond the moment of hunger. Social influences promote high-energy, low nutrient “fast-foods” as a convenient and cheap option.
By focusing on foods that nourish rather than just energise, we can embrace a more holistic view of nutrition and foster a healthier relationship with food. Tuning into what our individual body rhythms rather than limiting ourselves to external metrics can only improve our long-term well-being.
