So, when a calorie of food energy is consumed, one of three particular effects occur within the body: a portion of that calorie may be stored as body fat, triglycerides, or glycogen, transferred to cells and converted to chemical energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP – a coenzyme) or related compounds, or dissipated as heat.
The internal heat produced is, in turn, mainly a sum of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the thermic effect of food.
[citation needed] The Set-Point Theory, first introduced in 1953, postulated that each body has a preprogrammed fixed weight, with regulatory mechanisms to compensate.
This review was conducted on short-term studies, therefore such a mechanism cannot be excluded in the long term, as evidence is currently lacking on this timeframe.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has compiled a detailed report on human energy requirements.
There has been controversy over energy-balance messages that downplay energy intake being promoted by food industry groups.