Rethinking Calories: What you need to know

Calories are everywhere - from food packaging to apps to social media. But what are they really, and why has counting them become such a central part of how we think about food?

What even are calories?

A calorie is a unit of energy - it tells us how much energy food can provide to the body. This energy fuels:

• ❤️ Heartbeat and circulation

• 🧠 Brain function and neurotransmitter activity

• 💪 Muscle contraction and movement

• 🌡️ Metabolism and maintaining body temperature

Importantly, calories are not a measure of morality or health, and they are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to nutrition.

Diet Culture Misconceptions

• Diet culture has convinced us that calories are “good” or “bad,” and that eating too many will make us lazy or unhealthy. We’ve been taught to count every morsel, compare our intake to others, and feel guilty for choosing certain foods. Many of us grow up learning to restrict, weigh, and measure instead of listening to hunger, fullness, and pleasure.

• The problem is that these beliefs are not based on the complexity of human biology or nutrition. Our bodies are not machines that respond in the same way to every calorie, and weight is influenced by far more than energy in versus energy out.

  
  

Science tells a different story:

• 🧠Hormones like leptin and ghrelin regulate hunger and fullness. Your body doesn’t just respond to calories - it responds to signals from your brain and hormones.

• 🩸Metabolic adaptation occurs in response to restriction, meaning the body uses energy differently when underfed.

• 🧬Weight is influenced by genetics, hormones, sleep, stress, and activity, not calories alone.

  
  

The Limits of Calorie Counting

Counting calories can be misleading because:

• 🔹 Food labels aren’t exact - studies show packaged foods can vary by ±20% in actual calories.

• 🔹 Nutrient quality isn’t captured - Calories don’t account for the nutrient quality of food the effects on satiety and the nutrients provided differ but counting treats them the same

• 🔹 Individual metabolism varies - age, sex, activity, and hormones all affect how energy is used.

  
  

Why Calorie Counting Can Be Harmful

Research shows that calorie tracking can:

• ⚠️ Increase dietary restraint, anxiety, and obsessive behaviours 

• ⚠️ Heighten disordered eating symptom severity

• ⚠️ Encourage comparison with others, leading to social anxiety at meals

  
  

For people in recovery, these effects can trigger restriction, secrecy, and loss of trust in the body’s signals, making healing more difficult.

What Calories Don’t Tell Us

Calories tell us nothing about:

• 🍽️ How filling or satisfying a food is

• 🧠 How it affects cognition, mood, or energy levels

• 🦴 Micronutrient content important for bone, heart, and brain health

• 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 The social, emotional, and cultural value of food

  
  

A More Evidence-Based Approach

Instead of counting calories, we could focus on:

• 🌟 Intuitive eating - tuning into hunger, fullness, and satisfaction

• 🌟 Nutrient adequacy - ensuring sufficient protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

• 🌟 Flexibility - including foods for pleasure as well as nourishment

• 🌟 Trust in the body - recognising personal energy needs

  
  

By shifting focus away from numbers, we support not only physical health, but also psychological wellbeing and recovery.