Doctor Column

“What’s It All About?” — Calories, Weight Loss, Basal Metabolic Rate June 5, 2017 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD As gasoline fuels cars, calories fuel our bodies. A calorie measures the energy in the food we eat. Today, it seems everyone is counting calories. The human body requires a minimum amount of premium fuel (good calories) to keep the engines of its organs running smoothly. That is to say, the interactions of foods and digestion provide the vital energy needed by the heart, kidneys, lungs and other systems to function well.