Common Conversation Factors and Body Energy

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I. Conversation Factors

Below are listed several conversion factors that will need to remember if you are planning to go on a diet. These conversions should constitute the primary conversions for day-to-day use.

1 pound (lb.) = 16 ounces (oz)
1 pound = 454 grams (g) (specifically 453.6 g)
1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (specifically 2.2046 lbs.)
1 kg = 1000g
1 oz = 28 g (specifically 28.35 g)
1 liter = 1000 milliliters (ml)
1 quart = 0.95 liters (l)
1 liter = 1.06 quarts
1 gallon = 3.79 liters
30 ml = 1 fluid oz
100o Centigrade ( C ) = 212o Fahrenheit (F)
Temperature of Boiling Water at Sea Level
37o C = 98.6o F (typical body temperature)
0o C = 32o F (freezing temperature of pure water)

II. Energy and Calories

Energy is a key component within the body. All carbon containing compounds have a certain amount of energy. Most energy measurements are currently reported as calories or kilocalories. In the United States,  the joule or kilojoule is used primarily for research purposes and like the metric system will not be extensively used in the US consumer market for several years.  The term kilojoules is the food energy measurement used by the food industry and Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and South America (Modification suggested  by: Manning Bartlett Ph.D.(Australia))

Calorie (cal): A calorie is the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1oC, from 16.5o C to 17.5o C.

1 calorie = 4.184 joules (J)
Kilocalorie (kcal) = 1,000 calories Megacalorie (Mcal) = 1,000,000 calories

Carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram Proteins contain about 4 calories per gram Fats contain about 9 calories per gram (2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates or proteins) One pound of body fat contains about 3,500 calories.

Resting Energy Expenditure (REE): This represents the amount of energy expended by a person at rest and under thermal neutrality. REE is closely related to lean body mass.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Basal metabolic rate is defined as REE measured soon after awaking in the morning and at least twelve hours after the last meal. REE and BMR may vary slightly (usually less than 10%) under certain conditions. For practical purposes BMR and REE are used interchangeably.

Gross energy is most commonly reported when one observes the energy content of a particular nutrient. Gross Energy (GE): The energy released when a substance is completely oxidized. GE is the total amount of energy (calories)in a compound. GE is commonly used when one reviews the calorie contribution of a product and it is used mainly because it is easy to determine.

Apparent Metabolizable Energy (ME): Metabolizable energy is GE consumed minus the GE contained in excreta (feces, urine, and gas products). This measurement approximates the amount of energy that is consumed and used or stored by the body. ME is probably the most reported measurement next to gross energy. From a practical point, ME is the amount of energy that is used or stored by the body from a nutrient. This measurement is more accurate and meaningful than GE, but is much more difficult to obtain.

Net Energy (NE): Net energy is ME minus the body heat loss or heat increment (HI). Heat increment is the amount of heat released during digestion and metabolism within the body. NE is actually the amount of energy used for storage, production, reproduction and work. NE most nearly approximates the true amount of energy utilized by the body. This measurement is rarely used, except for research.

All carbon compounds contain a certain amount of energy. Certain forms of carbon (e.g. protein) are inefficient and expensive and, if possible, should not be used as an energy source. Each body requires a certain minimum amount of energy per day. This is generally referred to as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). An analogous term is REE. Temperature, age and activity affect energy requirements. If energy intake is greater than use, the excess will be stored as fat. In other-words one gains fat weight. To lose a pound of fat one needs to burn about 3500 calories, beyond ones energy intake. As lean body mass increases, BMR increases.

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