«Most individuals (and even some professionals) believe that estimating calorie intake using the Harris-Benedict formula is the most important step in losing weight. The reasoning is clear: the formula considers gender, height, weight, and age, which appears to be enough to calculate the body’s energy requirements.
However, not everything is as straightforward as it appears. When utilizing an internet calculator (or a specific program) to calculate your calorie intake, it’s vital to have a broad grasp of the subject and not only rely on a random number based on your body characteristics.
What is the Harris-Benedict formula?
The Harris-Benedict formula is the earliest effort in human history to calculate an organism’s metabolic rate and the elements that influence it. First and foremost, we’re discussing the impact of body volume and daily activity levels on total oxygen consumption.
Francis Gano Benedict, an American chemist, physiologist, and nutritionist, and botanist James Arthur Harris are the formula’s creators. In 1919, Carnegie University Press released their collaborative study article, A Biometric Study of Basic Human Metabolism.
The method, however, is only acceptable for normal persons, according to Harris and Benedict, assuming that body weight is in the middle range. In reality, the research was based on the intake of oxygen by 250 adults and 100 children.»
