- Calorie counting has declined as diet culture increasingly evolves
- GLP-1 drugs have shifted focus from calories to nutrients
- Consumers now track protein, macros and glucose more frequently
- Experts consider calorie counting useful, but rarely sufficient alone
- Sustainable diets prioritise nutrition, satiety and long-term eating habits
Calorie counting was once at the centre of how consumers saw health, dieting and weight loss
Low-calorie diets were once synonymous with weight loss, and brands that kept calories to a minimum often attracted high-profile attention, such as Weight Watchers securing US media personality Oprah Winfrey to its board
Now, the culture has very much shifted. GLP-1 drugs are widespread, and the way people diet has changed. What once dominated dieting is now very much in the sidelines
Calorie counting is not entirely dead, but it is no longer as central to health and diet culture as it once was
“I do not think that calorie counting will ever go away entirely but it is certainly less important than it used to be,” says Matthew Barry, global insights manager at analytics company Euromonitor
Millennials and Gen Z are moving away from the diet culture of the 1990s and 2000s, he says, where calorie counting was central to dieting
“When these generations were children, they saw adults around them go on these sorts of diets, which were often calorie-restricted. Many of them noticed that first of all, they rarely worked in the long-term and, second, that they really wreaked havoc on people’s self-esteem and led to all sorts of issues with things like body image.”
Yet the decline of calorie counting is not the end of diet culture
Diet culture is changing. The biggest shift has been the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, giving consumers an alternative route to weight loss than calorie counting
The popularity of GLP-1s also puts nutrients, rather than calories, at centre-stage. Users of the drugs, far from having to actively reduce calories, instead must ensure that they get enough nutrients, which they may otherwise miss out on due to reduced appetite
This does not, however, mean that people are not quantifying their food intake, suggests Euromonitor’s Barry. They’re just doing so in a different way
“More things are being counted than ever,” he says. Consumers are not tracking calories, but they are tracking their macros (macronutrients) and monitoring glucose levels. “You can really count essentially anything you want related to eating… quantified approaches to eating have never been more influential.”
Diets today, such as keto, paleo and carnivore, are “in many cases much more rigorous than the older style of diets, but which are not fundamentally about calorie-restriction”, says Barry
The shift in the way consumers diet has changed what they prioritise, with nutrients like protein often being counted rather than calories
But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Concerns around health and wellbeing and the popularity of diet culture are still very much alive
Calorie counting may be less prominent as a food trend now than it once was, but from a nutritional perspective, is it still considered a good way to diet?
Calorie counting hasn’t been discredited, explains specialist dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine, but most dieticians view it not as the foundation of a healthy diet, but merely one possible tool for one
“Calories still matter for body weight, and keeping a short-term food diary can help some people understand portion sizes and identify where extra energy may be coming from
“However, calorie figures are estimates, and counting alone tells us very little about a food’s protein, fibre, micronutrient content or how filling it will be.”
Focusing too heavily on calories can cause consumers to neglect food’s nutritional quality, she explains. For example, a 400-calorie meal with protein, vegetables and wholegrain carbohydrates will affect both nutritional health and satiety very differently than a 400-calorie meal of sweets and biscuits
While calorie counting may still be useful for people who are not using GLP-1s, she suggests, one can still manage their weight instead with balanced meals, correct portion sizes, protein and fibre intake and heightened awareness of hunger and fullness
For Ludlam-Raine, calorie counting works best as a temporary dieting measure, rather than something one could sustain indefinitely
“The most effective approach is the one that supports a modest, sustainable energy deficit while protecting muscle mass, nutritional adequacy and the person’s relationship with food.”
Calorie counting isn’t appropriate for everyone, suggests Shavina Patel, consultant dietician and clinical nutritionist. However, it can be a useful way to help those with limited knowledge about calorie or nutrient content, or those having difficulty with portion sizes
It is preferable to practice calorie counting alongside broader education about food, in particular how some foods should make up a larger proportion of the diet, and how ingredients like protein and fibre influence hunger and satiety
“This combined approach helps clients develop knowledge that supports informed decision-making long after tracking has stopped, and incorporating mindful eating principles.”
However, calorie counting can also be “time-consuming and socially restrictive”, making family meals, eating out and travelling more difficult, reducing enjoyment of food, and even harming one’s relationship with eating, says Patel
Calorie counting has not been discredited but “demoted”, says Corrine Toyn, registered dietitian at marketing and nutrition consultancy Chickpea Marketing, with most dieticians seeing it as one tool among many
It is useful in some circumstances, for example for specific consumers such as those with diabetes or athletes with precise energy needs
There is evidence that strict calorie counting has low long-term adherence, she explains, undermining its usefulness for sustainable weight management
Overall, calorie counting still has a place in nutrition, but it is better used temporarily, alongside knowledge about food quality and the importance of nutrients
