Britons are increasingly under-reporting their daily calorie consumption according to a new study, which could hamper the efforts of health experts to cut rising obesity levels.
Researchers suggest that in official surveys people are under-reporting the number of calories they consume. This is causing health experts to focus on increasing people’s physical activity, rather than cutting their calorie intake. If calorie counts were correct, they say, the UK population would actually be losing weight.
Participants in the study consumed closer to 3,000 calories on average, compared to the 2,000 often reported by adults in official statistics. A lack of awareness of the amount of calories contained in snacks, difficulty keeping track of snacking, and a desire to lose weight could all be responsible, according to the report.
Although increasing physical activity is central to human health, researchers suggest that obesity-reduction efforts must focus mainly on reducing calorie consumption.
We’d like to understand what people are eating, and whether the amount of calories consumed daily is surprising or as expected. Share your daily food and drink consumption with us using the form below – anonymously is fine. We’ll use a selection of responses in our reporting.
