Fun fact😱

As you can see, his definition of a Calorie (or kcal) is essentially the same as it is today: the amount of energy required to raise a kilogram (or liter) of water one degree Celsius.

But look at the part I underlined in red. One Calorie (or one kcal) is the amount of energy required to life one ton (2,000 pounds) 1.53 feet off the ground. In other words, the number of kcal in a measly teaspoon of sugar (5g) is enough to lift 2,000 pounds 7.65 feet off the ground. I thought there had to be some mistake, so I looked it up. And, sure enough, one kcal equals 1.53 foot-tons.

That was stunning to me.

If you think about how many kcal you burn in a day, say 2,500, that means you burn enough kcal to lift a ton of weight (that’s a small car) 3,825 ft (or well over half a mile) in the air! In just one day.

That’s how much energy it takes to just get you through the day.

Incredible!