The Real Issue With Calorie Counting

 

 

Counting Calories diverts our attention, creating an overlooked and insidious problem.

Tim Rees

Since Charles Atwater combusted different foods one by one in his patented Bomb Calorimeter, we’ve been led astray by the shakey science of Calorie counting. It’s always the simple idea that catches on: Add the Calories we consume, then minus the ones we ‘burn’, and hey-presto you have total control over your body fat. If only.

Taking in more energy than your body uses will result in fat storage. Taking in less energy than your body requires will result in weight loss. This is a universal truth, but there are a few problems. It’s impossible to be accurate when counting Calories, because of the huge margins of error at every turn. For starters, the human body is more complex than the addition of your basal metabolic rate (estimated with the bluntest of equations) + the amount you’ve moved today. Which tracking system do you use by the way because they vary wildly?

Consider that the FDA allows a 20% margin of error for each food label. Also, how much did you chew your food today? Have you subtracted the nuts and seeds that slipped unharmed through your digestive tract? And these factors come before the bias and human error in estimating Calories consumed.

There are so many variables I don’t know where to start, so I’ll address the real issue in calorie counting as I see it.

 

full article is here.