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CalorieBloom
  1. CalorieBloom
  2. Editorial policy

Editorial policy

Where our numbers come from, how each calculator and guide is checked before it goes live, and how we fix mistakes.

Sources we trust

We rely on primary and official sources, in roughly this order:

  1. Government and public health bodies: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (USDA and HHS), the CDC, the NIH and its institutes, and the FDA.
  2. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which set the Dietary Reference Intakes.
  3. Peer-reviewed studies, cited by their journal and linked through PubMed or the publisher.
  4. USDA FoodData Central for the nutrient values of foods.

We don't use other calculator sites, influencers or product marketing as sources. If a figure can't be traced to one of the sources above, it doesn't go on the page.

How a calculator and its guide are made

Each calculator begins with the published equation it relies on. The equation is coded exactly as written, tested against hand-worked examples, and checked at the extremes of age, height, weight and activity. The guide under it is written to answer the questions people actually ask about that topic, in plain language, with each fact linked to its source. Pages show the date they were last updated.

Health claims we won't make

  • We won't suggest calorie targets low enough to need medical supervision, and our calculators hold a safety floor.
  • We won't promise a set amount of weight loss by a set date, because real results slow down as the body adapts.
  • We won't recommend supplements, fat burners or detox products.
  • We won't present an estimate as a diagnosis or as a substitute for professional care.

Corrections and updates

When a guideline changes or a reader reports an error, we check it against the original source. Confirmed errors are fixed promptly and the page's update date changes. If a correction changes a calculator's results, we say so on the page. To report something, email contact@caloriebloom.com with the page address and, if possible, the source.

Independence

No company pays to appear in our content or to shape a calculator. If the site carries advertising, ads are kept separate from the tools and guides and have no influence on what we write. Read more about CalorieBloom and our medical disclaimer.