The number of calories an adult needs daily depends on age, gender and activity level. You consume calories in the foods you eat and beverages you drink. The body needs calories to perform functions, such as digestion and breathing, and to provide you with energy for daily life and activity.
Significance
Knowing how many calories you need helps to manage your weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight, and if you consume fewer calories, you lose weight. The calorie recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine, or IOM, are only guidelines. If you find you gain or lose weight without wanting to while following them, you should adjust your intake accordingly. Younger adults generally need more calories than older adults.
Women
Women 19 to 30 years of age need between 2,000 and 2,400 calories daily. If you are 31 to 50, you need between 1,800 and 2,200 calories daily and women over the age of 51 need between 1,600 and 2,200 calories daily. Sedentary women should stick to the lower end of the range while those who live an active lifestyle should aim for the higher range.
Men
Men aged 19 to 30 years old need between 2,400 to 3,000 calories daily. For the 31 to 50 age group, consume between 2,200 and 3,000 daily. If you are over the age of 51, then you need between 2,000 and 2,800 calories daily. Men tend to need more calories than women because they are taller and weigh more. If you live an active lifestyle, aim for the higher end of the calorie ranges.
Considerations
A sedentary lifestyle is one that involves only very minimal daily activity, such as getting dressed, making meals and sitting at a desk. Moderately active people walk the equivalent of 1.5 to 3 miles per day in addition to daily life activities. This might include visiting the gym for 30 minutes to an hour three times per week or an active lifestyle that involves childcare or housecleaning. An active lifestyle is one that involves walking briskly more than 3 miles per day in addition to daily activity. If you regularly exercise five or six times per week or have a physically demanding job such as construction, you are most likely living an active lifestyle. Athletes and other extremely active people may exceed the calorie recommendations made by the IOM.
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