1. Measuring human age by estimating lifetime caloric consumption.
- Author
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Gruber, Ronald P., Kalamas, Alicia D., Gruber, R P, and Kalamas, A D
- Subjects
CALORIC content of foods ,AGE determination of human beings ,AGE ,AGING ,GERONTOLOGY ,ALGORITHMS ,DIAGNOSIS ,INGESTION ,DENTAL maturity - Abstract
Background: This study was prompted by a desire to measure human age by a means other than chronological or biological age. The purpose of the study was to use the total lifetime caloric intake in men as an index of aging.Method: The study was carried out by developing an algorithm to approximate the lifetime caloric intake. The total caloric intake is expressed such that one calorie-age year is defined as the total calories expended by an individual during his/her 20th year.Results: The results indicated that (1) the caloric intake of men progressively decreases with advancing age, that (2) the caloric-age is usually less than chronological age, and that (3) the caloric-age algorithm is a simple although crude method to assess lifetime caloric intake.Conclusion: The most important conclusion is that a person can get a better appreciation of the importance of avoiding excess caloric intake if human age is measured in terms of lifetime caloric intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2000
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