EER Calculator

EER Calculator - Estimated Energy Requirement (Institute of Medicine Formula)

Sex:

Age: years

Height:

Weight:

Physical Activity Level:

1. What is an EER Calculator?

Definition: This calculator computes your Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) using the formulas developed by the Institute of Medicine, estimating the daily calories you need based on your sex, age, height, weight, and physical activity level.

Purpose: It helps determine your daily calorie needs for maintaining energy balance, useful for nutritional planning, weight management, or fitness goals.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator takes sex, age, height, weight, and physical activity level with selectable units, and computes EER using the Institute of Medicine formulas:

Males:
- \( \text{EER} = 662 - (9.53 \times \text{A}) + \text{PA} \times [(15.91 \times \text{W}) + (539.6 \times \text{H})] \)
Females:
- \( \text{EER} = 354 - (6.91 \times \text{A}) + \text{PA} \times [(9.36 \times \text{W}) + (726 \times \text{H})] \)

Variables:

EER: Estimated Energy Requirement (kcal/day)
A: Age (years)
W: Weight (kg)
H: Height (m)
PA: Physical Activity coefficient, with values:

Males: Sedentary (1.0), Low Active (1.11), Active (1.25), Very Active (1.48)
Females: Sedentary (1.0), Low Active (1.12), Active (1.27), Very Active (1.45)

Unit Conversions:

Height: m, cm, in, ft (e.g., 1 m = 100 cm = 39.3701 in).
Weight: kg, lb, oz (e.g., 1 kg = 2.20462 lb).

Steps:

Select your sex.
Input your age, height, and weight with chosen units.
Select your physical activity level.
Compute your EER.

3. Importance of EER Calculations

Calculating EER is useful for:

Nutritional Planning: Determines the daily calories needed to maintain energy balance, adjusted for activity level.
Weight Management: Helps set calorie goals for maintaining, gaining, or losing weight by estimating total energy needs.
Personalized Health: Accounts for individual factors like sex, age, and activity level for a tailored calorie estimate.

4. Using the Calculator

Examples:

Male, Age 30, Active: Height = 1.8 m, Weight = 70 kg, PA = 1.25
EER: \( 662 - (9.53 \times 30) + 1.25 \times [(15.91 \times 70) + (539.6 \times 1.8)] \approx 2629.50 \, \text{kcal/day} \).
Female, Age 25, Low Active: Height = 1.65 m, Weight = 60 kg, PA = 1.12
EER: \( 354 - (6.91 \times 25) + 1.12 \times [(9.36 \times 60) + (726 \times 1.65)] \approx 2075.08 \, \text{kcal/day} \).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What does EER represent?
A: EER represents the estimated daily calorie intake needed to maintain energy balance, considering your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level, measured in kcal/day.

Q: How does EER differ from BMR?
A: BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) estimates calories needed at rest for basic bodily functions, while EER includes physical activity to estimate total daily energy needs.

Q: How do I choose my activity level?
A: Select based on your lifestyle: Sedentary (little to no exercise), Low Active (light exercise), Active (moderate exercise most days), or Very Active (intense exercise daily).