Energy Needs
Science: KS3, topic 1.4.8
Energy Needs
The amount of energy a person needs depends on a few factors.
What determines your energy needs?
- How active you are.
- Your biological sex.
- How old you are.
Average energy needs
- The average amount of energy a man must eat in a day is 2,500 kcal/10,500 kJ.
- The average amount of energy a woman must eat in a day is 2,000 kcal/8,400 kJ.
- You know how much energy you are consuming because food and drink include this information on the labels to help people avoid over- and under-eating.
Problems
- If you consume too many calories, you are likely to become obese, or overweight.
- If you consume too few calories, you are likely to become underweight.
- In both cases, you can become malnourished if you don’t get all the required food groups, vitamins and minerals.
Test yourself on Energy Needs
Which of these does NOT affect energy requirements?
Which of these are true of calorie consumption?
A man and a woman are the same age and do the same amount of exercise. Why might their energy needs still be different?
A man and a woman each eat 2,200 kcal in a day. Using the average energy needs given, who is more likely to be eating more than their body needs?