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Daily Caloric Needs for Women

The number of calories a woman consumes each day, in combination with other factors, determines her weight. However, a woman's ideal caloric intake varies from person to person, and many women aren't sure how many calories are right for them.

  1. Significance

    • Consuming the right number of calories helps people maintain their weight, fight disease and fuel their daily activities. However, about 88 percent of Americans report not being able to correctly estimate how many calories they should consume. That's according to a survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation.

    Expert Insight

    • How many calories a woman should consume each day depends on her age, size, muscle mass, level of physical activity and other important determinants, including pregnancy and illness. With that in mind, the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion recommends most women take in between 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day.

    Reducing Calories

    • To lose weight, a woman must burn 3,500 calories more than she consumes each week. That works out to a 500-calorie reduction per day. This can be done by decreasing food intake, exercising more or a combination of the two. There are several online calorie calculators to help a woman determine her ideal caloric numbers and weight loss goals (see Resources for a link).

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