Assessment of energy balance in nutritional counseling – fact or myth?

Evaluating energy balance in nutritional counseling is always prone to error. This study explains the reasons for this situation, energy expenditure types and methods of estimation, various categories of energy, the relationship between the caloric content of food and ATP production, the idea of fat balance, the concept of the energy homeostat, and other issues. Awareness of the tools’ limitations draws more attention to simple dietary recommendations and the role of physical activity. It also helps avoid the frustration of putting too much faith in uncertain caloric value and energy balance estimations.