How to calculate your calories

A CHESHIRE manufacturer has created the world’s first portable calorimeter that will enable people to calculate the exact amount of calories they need to lose, maintain or gain weight.
GEM Nutrition Ltd, based at Daresbury Innovation Centre, near Warrington, worked with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to invent Blue, the world’s first portable calorimeter that is able to calculate the exact amount of calories any individual needs in order to lose, maintain or increase their weight.
MAS, a service offered by the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub, worked with Gem Nutrition to fund the creation of the Blue instrument prototype that provides a personal set of measurements for each client. This data is then used to work out exactly how many calories people need to lose or gain weight.
Blue will be trialled in a number of health clubs and gyms
This year to enable trainers and nutritionists ensure that their clients are eating and exercising correctly to reach their health and fitness goals.
For decades it was assumed that men need approximately 2500 calories and women 2000 calories a day to function. But these estimates are based on Mr and Mrs Average, irrespective of height, weight or health issues. Using a 10-minute test, the Blue instrument measures the daily resting metabolic rate, or RMR, by measuring the oxygen in a person’s breath as they rest and breathe in and out.
Gem Nutrition managing director Austen Bradley said: “For years people have devised their diet and exercise plans on figures based on average calculations. But diets don’t work because they treat everyone the same and everyone is different with unique calorie requirements and metabolic
rates. What Blue gives us for the first time is an incredibly accurate way to measure both and to work out the best eating and fitness plan to complement them.”