Simply knowing a woman's age doesn't provide enough information to determine her daily caloric needs. However, the Harris-Benedict Equation, based on age, height, weight, gender and exercise, provides an easy means of calculating daily caloric intake.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Basic Metabolic Rate is the amount of calories your body needs to perform basic functions at rest, like breathing and pumping blood. The first step in determining your daily caloric intake is to find your BMR by inputting your height, weight, age and gender into on online calculator (see Resources).
Activity Level
If you're sedentary, multiply your BMR by 1.2; if you're a light exercise, multiply by 1.375; moderate exerciser, multiply by 1.55; and heavy exerciser, multiply by 1.725. The answer is an accurate estimate of your daily caloric needs, or the amount of calories you should eat to maintain your weight.
Example
For example, if you're 52 years old, 5 foot 10 and weigh 145 lbs., your BMR is 1,370. If you usually walk briskly a couple times per week for exercise, multiply your BMR by 1.375 to find that you should be eating 1,883 calories per day to maintain your current weight.
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