CalorieKing

Heather Calcote, Dietetic Intern
University of Maryland, College Park

Calorie King is a Web site designed to educate, motivate and inspire weight loss throughout the lifetime. At the center of this site is an extensive food database, which is used to enter meals and snacks into the Food Diary feature.

The site is extremely interactive; all features can be used independently or in conjunction as part of a comprehensive weight loss/maintenance plan. Users can enter personal information, log their diet and activity, blog, enter their weight, set goals, plan an exercise program, join common-interest groups and forum discussions, and search the food database.

On the other hand, it also provides information for users. There is a recipe index, and an information center that offers articles by category in addition to the latest “in the news” items. Users can also browse “success stories”, the member directory, and various software programs available (i.e.” Diabetes Log for Palm OS”).

As a Nutrition and health professional, this site may be extremely useful for both you and your clients. It can be used to create extensive and detailed meal plans, as you can save entries by the day using the Food & Exercise Diary. Individual days are broken down into the following: early morning snack, breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. Nutrition information is provided for each meal time, as well as collectively for the day. Food items are easily searched on the left hand side, and added in the chosen amount (typically several options are offered).

Professionals can use this site to find recipes, join discussion groups to provide useful information/tips, and keep up to date on nutrition information provided to consumers (through the articles and “In the News” section). Being familiar with how to utilize all the features will be important when recommending it for use to a client.

In addition to food information and recipes, there are tools for learning about nutrition and weight control. This includes BMI calculators, interactive exercise calculators, and health and nutrition quizzes. The food database also provides information on tons of products, including restaurant nutrition facts.

Calorie King is an appealing interactive Web site for the average consumer, providing reliable information and support features.  The design is user-friendly and all-encompassing for the weight-loss and weight maintenance client.