What EER is
EER is the Institute of Medicine’s 2005 estimate of the calories an adult needs each day to hold a healthy weight, from sex, age, height, weight and daily activity. It is the figure nutrition courses and older guidelines compute. For a number to eat to, our TDEE calculator uses the 2023 update.
Example: Male, 30 years, 5 ft 10 in, 160 lb, moderately active
3,019calories a day: your EER (IOM 2005)
The calories the 2005 Institute of Medicine equation says an adult of your sex, age, size and activity needs to keep a healthy weight.
The National Academies updated these equations in 2023. Our TDEE calculator uses the 2023 set, so it gives you a different number; use that one for a daily calorie target. Enter your own numbers above to replace this example.
BMI
23.0
Under 25, so the IOM's normal-weight EER equation applies; from 25 it uses a separate one.
Activity coefficient (PA)
1.25
The multiplier the IOM applies for your activity level (moderately active: a physical activity level of 1.6 to under 1.9).
| Activity level | Calories a day |
|---|---|
| Sedentary: daily living onlyIOM: sedentary | 2,490 |
| Lightly Active: 30 to 60 min brisk walkingIOM: low active | 2,723 |
| Moderately Active: 60+ min moderate activityIOM: active | 3,019 |
| Very Active: 1 hr moderate + 1 hr vigorousIOM: very active | 3,505 |
- Next stepTDEE calculatorYour daily calories on the 2023 equations, with a target for your goal.
- Next stepCalorie deficit calculatorHow much to eat to lose weight, and by when.
Formula: EER = 662 - 9.53 x 30 + 1.25 x (15.91 x 72.57 kg + 539.6 x 1.78 m) = 3,019. Equations from the IOM Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy (2005), built from doubly labeled water studies of adults: the EER from adults with a BMI of 18.5 to 25, the overweight and obese equation from adults with a BMI of 25 or more. The equation goes by your exact BMI, as the IOM tables do: 24.99 takes the normal-weight equation. Just under 25 or 18.5 the BMI shows two decimals.
Sources: Institute of Medicine 2005 (Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, ch. 5); NICE guideline NG246; WHO 2000 (Technical Report Series 894); CDC adult BMI categories
The calculator works it out from your sex, age, weight, height and activity level. The IOM built the EER from adults at a healthy weight. From a BMI of 25 it gives a separate equation for the calories that keep your current weight, and the calculator switches to that one, with the normal-weight EER beside it.
The calculator uses equations the Institute of Medicine wrote for adults, so it accepts ages 19 and over.
The calculator offers four activity levels, which keeps it simple and makes the result an estimate rather than an exact figure. It does not add up your weight training, sports or runs one by one; they count toward the activity level you pick. For most healthy adults the estimate is acceptable.
The 4 activity factors include:
Every level includes normal daily living, such as housework and walking to the bus; the three active levels add the activity shown, every day.
The tool uses the Institute of Medicine (IOM) equations from the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, the same equations behind the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The IOM built them from doubly labeled water studies (a more accurate method for measuring total energy expenditure).
When understanding the formulas for EER it’s important to know the difference between the ‘physical activity coefficient’ (PA) and ‘Physical Activity Levels’ (PAL) if doing your own calculations. PA is based on ranges of physical activity levels to give an energy estimate while PAL is the ratio of total energy expenditure to basal energy expenditure (TEE/BEE). The IOM sets PA separately for men and women: 1.00, 1.11, 1.25 and 1.48 for men, and 1.00, 1.12, 1.27 and 1.45 for women, from sedentary to very active. The calculator uses the value for your sex and level.
The equation goes straight from your sex, age, height, weight and the PA multiplier to a daily figure; it does not work out a BMR first.
These are the PAL ranges:
- Sedentary (PAL 1.0-1.39)
- Lightly Active (PAL 1.4-1.59)
- Moderately Active (PAL 1.6-1.89)
- Very Active (PAL 1.9-2.5)
The PAL formula is total energy expenditure in a 24-hour period divided by basal metabolic rate.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of both, with strengthening activities done at least twice per week for optimal health. (1)
Use this page when a course, a textbook or an older guideline asks for the EER; it is the 2005 figure they mean.
Frequently Asked Questions For EER
What is the EER calculator?
It works out your estimated energy requirement from your sex, age, weight, height and activity level, with the 2005 Institute of Medicine equations. From a BMI of 25 it uses the IOM’s overweight and obese equation instead.
Why is my EER different from my TDEE?
The EER uses the 2005 equations; our TDEE calculator uses the 2023 update, which gives a different figure for the same person.
Can the EER calculator help me to lose weight?
Not directly. EER is the calories that hold a healthy weight, not a diet target. For a daily number to lose weight, use our TDEE calculator, which sets a target for your goal.
How accurate is the EER calculator?
The estimated energy requirement calculator is not entirely accurate as there can be other variables that will ultimately determine your exact energy requirements to support your daily activities.
But it will give most healthy-weight adults an acceptable estimate.
