Maintaining a healthy body weight is more than a matter of calories in, calories out. Genetics play a role, and they could determine your predisposition to obesity. Scientists are only now scratching the surface of the potential influence gut bacteria have on health. But despite these complicating factors, it’s important to understand: What the heck is a calorie?
The origins of the term can be traced back to a few French scientists. It was defined as a measurement of the heat needed to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water from 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 33.8 degrees. Eventually, it came to define how much heat, or energy, what we consume provides our bodies.
So when you look at that bag of chips and it says eating the whole thing would be 400 calories, that essentially means your body will have to work ever so much to burn it off. Except, not really. Nutritionists have established that in fact, all calories are not equal. Eating 400 calories worth of chips is not the same as…