Clara,

thank you. I am actually a trained biochemist who teaches biochemistry to students at various levels at Marburg University for years. During many discussions, I was asked how sure can we actually be that e.g. 1 g fat consumed is equivalent to 9 kcal for everybody and everytime. In view of the fact that human beings are very variable in their genes it would be indeed surprising if such a statement would be correct. Let me give you one simple example. If somebody consumes 40% of daily calories in the form of fat but due to differences in digestion, lipolysis or fatty acid oxidation his actual fat intake appears for the body lower, why should he reduce his fat intake and go up e.g. with carbos?

Such an argument is in my opinion of practical importance. If one accepts that an inter-individual variation exists, does it then make sense to "prescribe" to whole populations not to consume 40% but e.g. 35% fat? By doing so, one leaves the impression that human beings are identical which is just not the case. Would it be not more honest to admit that calculations of calories provide only some rough guideline which might or might not work out.

I also mentioned the fact that at the same ratio of macronutrient intake some people gain weight, whereas others don´t. Could it be that those who don´t gain weight just end up with e.g. a lower fat availabilitiy in their body?

Let me point out again that I am not a Nutritionist but that I have an uneasy feeling looking at all these precise food tables where calories are summed up assuming that the human being for whom these tables are actually are made, responds absolutely identical.

Let m close with a citation from a grande Actress who mentioned decades ago that she was eating tons of chocolate and nonetheless looked like models are supposed to look today. This is just one example which shows that something might be wrong in the calculation of calories and that many many books might have been published with assumptions that have never been proven adequately.

Please challenge this view.

Heinz-Gerd

Dear H.G. L.

Knowing more about who you are, what you are working on and where you are

from would help to properly direct your request.

Regards,

Carla