Questions and Answers about Calories

Question: I’ve heard it is more important to worry about carbohydrates than calories. Is this true?

Answer: By focusing only on carbohydrates, you can still eat too many calories. Also, if you reduce the variety of foods in your diet, you could exclude vital nutrients and not be able to stay on the diet over time.

Question: Does it matter how many calories I eat as long as I’m maintaining an active lifestyle?

Answer: While physical activity is a vital part of weight control, so is controlling the number of calories you eat. If you take in more calories than you use, you will still gain weight.

Question: What other factors besides diet and behavior contribute to overweight and obesity?

Answer: Environment and genetic factors may add to causes of overweight and obesity.

For more information, see Other Factors in Weight Gain.

 

The MyPlate Plan shows what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance. Your food plan is personalized, based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level.

Click here to check out the MyPlate Plan

 

(https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/calories/index.html)