Bariatric Surgery

Typical Daily Calorie Expenditure

Obesity is caused by an imbalance of too much energy going in (food), with not enough energy being burned (through physical activity).

We already know about all the high calorie food readily available, but how many calories does a typical American spend daily? Successful dieters who have permanently lost expend 2,700 calories per week in physical activity. This averages out to 385 calories daily.

Here is an example of a rough estimate of daily calorie expenditure for a 150-pound woman:

• Light activity such as showering, cooking, housekeeping (3 hours)-Calories burned=200
• Sitting quietly such as desk work, watching TV, reading, computer work, driving, eating meals (10 hours)-Calories burned=800
• Moderate activity such as walking, vacuuming, grocery shopping, making bed (3 hrs)-Calories burned=300
• Sleeping (8 hours)-Calories burned=500

Total calories expended in 24 hours=1800