What is a calorie

A calorie is the name of a scientific unit used as a measure of heat.

One calorie is the amount of heat you would need to make the temperature of one gram of water rise 1˚C.

In the International System (SI) of units, heat is measured in joules. One calorie equals 4.1868 joules in SI units.

The calorie is used to describe the amount of heat that can be provided by fuels. Food is a fuel. We burn it up as energy; it is converted to mechanical energy by our muscles. the energy  value of foods is sometimes quoted in calories. People who are trying to lose weight eat a carefully controlled low calorie diet so that they do not store surplus fuel as fat on their bodies.

For a child aged two to three, the recommended caloric intake ranges between 1,000 kcal and 1,400 kcal depending on the amount of daily physical exercise. For adults, the recommended daily calorie intake is generally higher for men compared to women.

It is important to remember that the calories consumed must come from a variety of different nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats in order to ensure that the body receives all the nutrients required for its proper function.

Caption:  Too many calories can lead to weight gain and a variety of diseases.