Calories are nothing to be ashamed about – they are just a unit of measurement. A calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by 1°C. Thus, a calorie described how much energy or heat arises from the combustion of the nutritional components of our diet.

We need calories in order to provide us with the energy required to live; every single biological process in the body requires energy and this has to come from the food we eat, which gets broken down to yield energy.

Despite the current discourse, most people don’t need to count their intake of calories. Our body has its own control system that helps to regulate our energy levels. We are all born with this ability; humans are biologically biased to achieve energy balance which means when you exercise regularly, you generally consume more food and energy to meet your requirements, and vice versa.

The issue is that societal pressures and the rise of social media, exercise tech and food tracking apps means that many of us have become more dependent on external cues.

Calories on menus make food just about energy intake – here’s why an dietitian is warning against the food shame