Eating the Right Number of Calories (2005 Guidelines)
Calories are a measure of the energy you get from food. If you eat more calories than you use, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you use, you will lose weight. Below are the estimated number of calories needed each day for different genders, ages, and energy levels.* This is the approximate number of calories you use each day, so eating this number should mean you neither gain nor lose weight.
Women
|
Age in years
|
Low activity level (calories/day)
|
Moderate activity level (calories/day)
|
High activity level (calories/day)
|
|
19 to 30
|
2000
|
2000-2200
|
2400
|
|
31 to 50
|
1800
|
2000
|
2200
|
|
51 and older
|
1600
|
1800
|
2000-2200
|
Men
|
Age in years
|
Low activity level (calories/day)
|
Moderate activity level (calories/day)
|
High activity level (calories/day)
|
|
19 to 30
|
2400
|
2600-2800
|
3000
|
|
31 to 50
|
2200
|
2400-2600
|
2800-3000
|
|
51 and older
|
2000
|
2200-2400
|
2400-2800
|
Activity Levels Defined
-
Low activity level: Only light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
-
Moderate activity level: Includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles a day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to light physical activity associated with day-to-day life.
-
High activity level: Includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles a day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to light physical activity associated with day-to-day life
* From Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, US Department of Health and Human Services.
Publication Source:
United States Department of Agriculture, A Healthier you, based on the dietary guidelines for Americans, 2005
Date Last Reviewed:
5/6/2005
Date Last Modified:
5/6/2005