How many calories you should be eating, depending on your exact age

Calorie intake has been found to fluctuate massively depending on a person's age

Siobhan Fenton
Friday 10 June 2016 16:57 BST
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While the widely accepted rule of thumb is to eat 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men, age can also drastically influence how calories affect weight
While the widely accepted rule of thumb is to eat 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men, age can also drastically influence how calories affect weight (iStock)

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When it comes to staying in shape and maintaining a healthy weight, advice can be conflicting with old-wives' tales and myths contributing to a blur of confusing information. However, one of the generally accepted principles about calories is that women should aim to consume 2,000 per day while men should consume around 2,500.

Research has shown that while these figures are accurate on average, a person’s age can dramatically affect their calorie intake without them realising.

UCLA statistician Nathan Yau analysed data from the US Department for Health and Human Services to find out precisely how your age affects how many calories you can consume to maintain a healthy weight.

Yau factored whether a person’s lifestyle is active, moderate or sedentary, before cross-applying the figures with age to gain the most accurate results.

Women with sedentary lifestyles should aim to consume 1,800 calories per day between the age of 25 and 30, before this drops to 1,600 from the age of 50 onwards.

Among women with active lifestyles, calorie consumption can be as high as 2,400 per day between 20 and 30, before dropping to 2,000 from the age of 60.

Calorie in-take by age, for women (Nathan Yau)
Calorie in-take by age, for women (Nathan Yau) (Mark Yau)

Men with sedentary lifestyles can consume a much higher calorie intake ranging from 2,400 calories between 25 and 30, before dropping to 2,000 from the age of 60.

Men with active lifestyles can eat up to 3,000 a day in their twenties, before dropping to 2,600 once they reach 60 years of age.

Calorie in-take by age, for men (Nathan Yau)
Calorie in-take by age, for men (Nathan Yau) (Mark Yau)

Nutritionists recommend that rather than focusing solely in calorie-control, those wishing to maintain a healthy weight should exercise regularly and eat a balanced and varied diet, as well as drinking plenty of water.

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