📉Calories in food do not equal the number of calories our bodies absorb.
🔥Digestion is a complex process that affects how many calories we extract from food.
📊Caloric availability differs between foods, even if they have the same number of calories.
🔬Atwater factors are used to estimate the caloric content of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein).
⚖️Understanding the limitations of calorie counting can help improve our relationship with food.
Why don't calories accurately represent the energy from food?
—Factors like caloric availability and digestion affect how many calories we absorb from food, making it difficult to determine the exact energy content.
What is caloric availability?
—Caloric availability refers to the percentage of calories in a food that our bodies can absorb. It varies depending on factors like food processing and individual metabolism.
What are Atwater factors?
—Atwater factors are used to estimate the caloric content of macronutrients: fat (9 calories/g), carbs (4 calories/g), and protein (4 calories/g). They help calculate the total calories in a food item.
Does calorie counting always work for weight loss?
—Calorie counting can be a useful tool, but it may not account for individual variations in metabolism and the impact of food processing. It's important to focus on overall diet quality and listen to our body's hunger and fullness cues.
How can understanding calorie limitations improve our relationship with food?
—By recognizing that calorie counting is not an exact science, we can shift our focus to nourishing our bodies with nutrient-dense, whole foods. This promotes a healthier mindset and a balanced approach to eating.
00:08[Music]
00:18In this talk, geneticist Joseo explains why calories don't accurately represent the energy our bodies absorb from food.
01:12Caloric availability, digestion, and food processing affect the number of calories we can extract from food.
05:39Joseo introduces the concept of caloric availability, which refers to the percentage of calories in a food that our bodies can absorb.
07:46Atwater factors are used to estimate the caloric content of macronutrients: fat, carbs, and protein.
11:23Wilbur Atwater conducted extensive research using bomb calorimetry to calculate the actual calories absorbed from food.
12:07Understanding the limitations of calorie counting can lead to a healthier relationship with food.
