College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

Laboratory Exercise #1
General Dietary Calculations

INTRODUCTION:
In this Activity, we will explore the translation of human energy requirements into recommended
food intakes and how to assess whether available food supplies or individual diets satisfy these
needs. Understanding the amounts of available energy in different foods is essential for making
informed dietary choices.

One crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is having a good understanding of your
ideal body weight. Ideal body weight is a range that considers your height and gender, helping
you set realistic and safe weight goals. By evaluating whether your weight falls within this
healthy range, you can ensure you are on the right track to achieve your fitness objectives.

This manual will incorporate the latest dietary recommendations, particularly focusing on energy
requirements based on an individual's physical activity level. This approach will help you
effectively manage your weight and adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. It's essential to
recognize that daily energy expenditure includes the calories burned during physical activity and
the calories burned at rest (basal metabolism) and during food digestion. The sum of these
caloric expenditures is total energy expenditure (TEE).

Basal metabolism refers to the metabolic pathways required to support and maintain the body's
essential functions at rest, such as breathing, heartbeat, and liver and kidney position. The
basal metabolic rate (BMR) quantifies the energy the body needs to perform these essential
functions over a specific period. Several factors influence BMR, including body size,
composition, sex, age, nutritional status, and genetics.

Individuals with a larger frame size tend to have a higher BMR due to increased mass.
Moreover, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even at rest, meaning individuals
with more muscle mass have a higher BMR. This is why males generally have higher BMRs
than females since they typically have more muscle mass and larger frame sizes.

As we age, our muscle mass tends to decline, leading to a decrease in BMR. Additionally, our
nutritional status plays a role in basal metabolism. Caloric restriction, as experienced during
dieting, can cause a decline in BMR as the body tries to maintain equilibrium and adjusts its
essential functions to offset the reduced energy intake.

Furthermore, factors like body temperature and thyroid hormone levels also influence BMR. This
manual will delve deeper into these concepts, empowering you to make informed decisions
about your diet and activity levels to achieve and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this exercise, you should be able to:

1. Compute desirable body weight and weight range of infants, children, pregnant and
lactating mothers, adolescents, and adults.
2. Estimate the total energy requirements of infants, children, pregnant and lactating
mothers, adolescents, and adults.

MATERIALS:
1. Pen
2. Calculator

CONCEPT:

I. Determine The Desirable Body Weight

A. Infants
1. First 6 months
DBW (g) = birth weight (g) + (age in month x 600)

2. 7-12 months
DBW (G) = birth weight (g) + (age in month x 500)

3. DBW (kg) = (age in months÷ 2) + 3

* if birth weight is unknown, use 3,000 grams

B. Children
DBW (kg) = (age in years x 2) + 8

C. Adults
1. Tanhausser’s Method (Broca’s Index)
DBW (kg) = (height in cm – 100) – 10%

2. Hamwi Method
Female:
100 lbs. for first 5ft. plus 5 lbs. for every inch above 5ft.

Male:
106 lbs. for first 5ft. plus 6 lbs. for every inch above 5ft.

3. BMI-derived formula
DBW (kg) = Height (m2) x 22
 4. Adopted Method
For 5 ft. use 105 pounds
For every inch above 5 ft, add 5 pounds
5. Ador Dionisio’s Method
For every 5 ft. height: DBW = 110 lbs (Male)
= 100 lbs (Female)

For every inch above 5 ft., add 2 lbs

For every 5-year complement between 25-50 years, add 2 lbs

6. Dr. Fernando’s Method

For 5 ft. height: DBW = 106 lbs (Male)
= 100 lbs (Female)

For every inch above 5ft., add: 6 lbs for male

5 lbs for female

For large frame: add 10%

For small frame: subtract 10%

7. NDAP Method
Female: 106 lbs for every 5ft.; + 4lbs every inch above 5 ft.
Male: 112 lbs for every 5ft.; + 4lbs every inch above 5 ft.

II. Estimating Frame Size

Body frame = height (cm)/wrist circumference (cm)

Interpretation:
Male Female
Small frame 9.6 10.1
Medium frame 9.7- 10.4 10.2- 11
Large frame >10.5 >11

III. Estimating Frame Size

Body frame = height (cm)/wrist circumference (cm)

Interpretation:
Male Female
Small frame 9.6 10.1
Medium frame 9.7- 10.4 10.2- 11
Large frame >10.5 >11
IV. COMPUTING THE PERCENT OF IBW/DBW

Interpretation:

Classification Weight as %
of Standard
Overweight ≥110%
Normal 90 – 109%
Underweight, mild 85 – 89%
Undernourished, moderate 75 – 84%
Undernourished, severe <75%

CONCEPT cont.
V. Estimation of Total Energy Requirement
A. Infants
TER/day = 120 kcal/kg DBW (0-6 months)
= 110 kcal/kg DBW (7-12 months)
B. Children
TER/day = 1000 + (100 x age in years)
C. Adolescents
13-15 years 55 kcal/kg DBW (Male)
45 kcal/kg DBW (Female)

16-19 years 45 kcal/kg DBW (Male)

40 kcal/kg DBW (Female)

Average both sexes 45 kcal/kg DBW

VI. Estimation of Total Energy Requirement in Adults
A. TER based on Estimate of Energy Expenditure according to Physical
Activity Level (PAL) and Body Weight
1. Equation: TER (kcal) = DBW x PAL
Physical Activity Levels and Values (kcal/kg body weight) by Occupational
Work Intensity

Activity Level/ Sample Occupational Activities1 Kcal/kg

Category/ Work body
Intensity weight2

Sedentary Mostly resting with little or no activity 30

Light Occupations that require minimal movement, 35

mostly sitting/desk work or standing for long
hours and/or with occasional walking
(professional, clerical, technical workers,
administrative and managerial staff, driving light
vehicles (cars, jeepney) Housewives with light
housework (dishwashing, preparing food)

Moderate Occupations that require extended periods of 40

walking, pushing, or pulling or lifting or carrying
heavy objects (cleaning/domestic services,
waiting table, homebuilding tasks, farming,
patient care)

Very Active or Occupations that require extensive periods of 45

Vigorous running, rapid movement, pushing or pulling
heavy objects or tasks frequently requiring
strenuous effort and extensive total body
movements (teaching a class or skill requireing
active and strenuous participation, such as
aerobics or physical education instructor,
firefighting; masonry and heavy construction
work; coal mining, manually shoveling, using
heavy non-powered tools)
2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2018 Physical Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Washington DC. US Department of
Health and Human Services 2018
1
Bender, 2014
2
Krause Method
2. Equation: TER = DBW x Kcal/kg (Krause)
Activity Kcal/kg DBW
Bed Rest 27.5
Sedentary 30
Light 35
Moderate 40
Heavy 45

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 3. Equation: TER = DBW x kcal/kg (NDAP Method)

Activity Level Male Female

In bed but mobile 35 30
Light 40 35
Moderate 45 40
Heavy 50 -

B. Using Basal/Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR/RMR) Predictive Equations

1. Method 1 (Cooper et al)

TER = Basal Metabolic Needs (BMN) + % Physical Activity + TEF

BMN = 1.0 kcal/kg DBW/hr (Male)

= 0.9 kcal/kg DBW/hr (Female)

2. Harris-Benedict Energy Expenditure (HBEE)

BMR (Male)= 66.47 + 13.75 x (W) + 5 x (H) – 6.75 x (A)

BMR (Female)= 655.1 + 9.53 x (W) + 1.85 x (H) – 4.67 x (A)

TER = (BMR x Physical Activity) + TEF (usually 10% of BMR)

Level of Physical Activity

Score Activity
0.8 Sleeping
1.0 Supine or reclining; lying down totally relaxed, not
sleeping
1.2 Very light: sitting and seated activities; standing
1.3 Light: most standing activities - dressing, bathing,
cooking, teaching, lab/shop work, regular-pace
walking
1.4 - 1.6 Moderate: brisk walking. Jogging, cleaning,
gardening-type job, light to moderate exercises.
1.7 - 1.8 Moderately Heavy: moderate - to - vigorous exercise,
heavy manual labor (digging, climbing)
1.9 - 2.0 Heavy: Fitness-oriented cycling or similar vigorous
exercise
2.1 - 2.2 Sports: vigorous sports competition (football,
racquetball, tennis etc.)

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 2.3 - 2.4 All-out training: extremely high-intensity weight training
with little rest between sets or exercises
2.5 Extended maximum effort: extremely high - intensity
and high - duration sports competition (triathlon,
cross-country skiing, marathon)

3. Mifflin St. Jeor Equation

RMR (Male)= 9.99 x Wactual + 6.25 x Hcm – 4.92 x Ayears + 5

RMR (Female)= 9.99 x Wactual + 6.25 x Hcm – 4.92 x Ayears - 161

TER = RMR x Physical Activity

4. Oxford Equations

TER = (BMR x PA) + TEF

BMR Equations (kcal/day)
Age, years
Male Female
18 - 30 16.0 x W + 545 13.1 x W + 558
30 - 60 14.2 x W + 593 9.74 x W + 694
60 - 69 13.0 x W + 567 10.2 x W + 572
70+ 13.7 x W + 481 10.0 x W + 577

Physical Activity (PA) Categories and Values1

Physical Activity Values
Activity Level
Category Male Female
Sedentary2 1.30 1.30
Light Active 1.58 1.45
Moderately Active 1.67 1.55
Heavy 1.88 1.75
Note: PAL values of 1.2 and 1.3 may be used for an individual
confined to bed or for an ambulatory person, respectively
1
DOST-FNRI 2017
2
Width and Reinhard, 2009

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ACTIVITIES
Please put all your calculations and answers in your Steno Notebook. Label accordingly
and box/highlight your final answers.

A. Desirable Body Weight for Infants

Instructions: compute the desirable body weight of the following individuals using the
formula indicated:

DBW (Method 1)
DBW (g) = birth weight (g) + (age in mos. x 600 or 500)

DBW (Method 2)
DBW (kg) = (age in months ÷ 2) + 3

1. Vince, 1-month-old, 3.2 kg birth weight

2. Davin, 2 months old, 2.8 kg birth weight
3. Chloe, 3 months old, 3.5 kg birth weight
4. Ysabelle, 4 months old, 3 kg birth weight
5. Cassie, 5 months old
6. Dwane, 7 months old, 3.9 kg birth weight
7. Sophia, 8 months old, 3.4 kg birth weight
8. Stephanie, 10 months old
9. Sandara, 11 months old, 3.8 kg birth weight
10. James, 12 months old, 3.6 kg birth weight

B. Desirable Body Weight for Children and adolescents

Instructions: Compute for desirable body weight, show your computations

1. Lucas, 2 years old

2. Noah, 6 years old
3. Olivia, 9 years old
4. Gabriel, 12 years old
5. Mia, 14 years old
6. Alexander, 10 years old
7. Lily, 16 years old
8. Olivia, 8 years old
9. Jiyoh, 13 years old
10. Aria, 18 years old

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C. Adults.
Instructions: Compute the DBW using the indicated formula specified. Show your
computations.

● BMI-derived
● Tanhauser’s
● NDAP
● Adopted Method
● Ador-Dionisio
● Hamwi

1. Ethan, M, 21 years old, 169 cm, 65 kg, 16.5 cm wrist circumference

2. Juliana, F, 25 years old, 154 cm, 55 kg, 13 cm wrist circumference
3. Gabriel, M, 30 years old, 170 cm, 75 kg, 17 cm wrist circumference
4. Helen, F, 35 years old, 5’4”, 60 kg, 13.2 cm wrist circumference
5. Joshua, M, 40 years old, 5’9”, 80 kg, 19 cm wrist circumference
6. Emma, F, 42 years old, 5’3”, 58kg, 13.5 cm wrist circumference
7. Christopher, M, 48, years old, 170 cm, 70 kg, 15.5 cm wrist circumference
8. Angelica, F, 51 years old, 152 cm, 63 kg, 14 cm wrist circumference
9. Andrew, M, 55 years old, 165 cm, 68 kg. 15 cm wrist circumference
10. Ariel, F, 50 years old, 5’2”, 135.6 lbs. 14.5 cm wrist circumference

D. Using the result of DBW using Tanhausser’s method, compute the DBW range and %
IBW of the following and interpret the results. Show your computations.

1. Ethan 6. Emma
2. Juliana 7. Christopher
3. Gabriel 8. Angelica
4. Helen 9. Andrew
5. Joshua 10. Ariel

E. Calculate the Estimation of the Frame size of the following and interpret the results.
Show your computations.

1. Ethan 6. Emma
2. Juliana 7. Christopher
3. Gabriel 8. Angelica
4. Helen 9. Andrew
5. Joshua 10. Ariel

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F. Estimation of Calorie Requirements for Adolescents (show your computations)
Instructions: compute for the TER of the following Estimate the total energy requirement
of the following. Show your ocmputations

1. Jom, 13 years, Male

2. JM, 15 years, Female
3. Leo, 16 years, Male
4. John, 14 years, Male
5. Kyle, 16 years, Male

G. Estimation of Calorie Requirements for Adults (show your computations)

Instructions: Compute the DBW using Tanhausser’s method. Show your computations.

● Equation 1
● Krause
● NDAP
● Cooper
● HBEE
● Mifflin St. Jeor
● Oxford

1. Christian, M, 20 years old, 5’7”, 56kg college student and part-time call center agent
2. Lauren, F, 28 years old, 5’3”, 59kg, Sous Chef
3. Claire, F, 34 years old, 5’72”, 60kg, Jeweller
4. Luke, M, 40 years old,, 5’8”, 72kg, on-call doctor
5. Luis, M, 33 years old, 5’7”, 63kg, Lawyer