About Calories

It takes more than willpower to maintain a healthy weight in America today. There are lots of pressures to eat. Watch out for: calorie dense foods (foods high in fat and sugar that pack lots of calories for their size), soda pop and other liquid calories, huge serving sizes, food pricing that that makes larger serving sizes irresistible, foods that are heavily advertised or marketed, and eating when you aren't hungry.

The levels for this Cal-O-Meter are based on 2,350 calories per day. Girls (ages 11-14) probably need fewer calories (about 2,200 calories). Boys (ages 11-14) probably need more calories (about 2,500). Eating too many calories and being overweight is not a cosmetic issue. It can lead to medical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and stroke.

Read this article for more info on calories. (Article will load in a new browser window. To return to Choose Ur Chews, just close that window.)