Vol. 7, Issue 12, Part B (2025)

Background: Recommended calorie requirement per day depends upon work done by the individual per day and metabolic conditions. As per WHO and USDA 45-65% carbohydrates in diet is recommended, but in India, most people relay upon cereals for food. So we need to find an upper limit for carbohydrate consumption to prevent diabetes in our society.

Objectives: 1. To compare the results of the Maximum Carbohydrate per Day (MCPD) formula with current Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) formula.

Methods: The study population is people attending Niramaya camp at Surat Medical College and Hospital. Sample size is 122. The individuals are evaluated for vitals, FBS, FLP, BMI, BMR, eating habits, physical activity, addictive habits and other co-morbidities. Results by both the formulae are plotted on graph to find the Pearson’s coefficient of association.

Results: Pearson’s coefficient obtained is 0.17 for males and 0.40 for females, which is because, the results obtained by TDEE formula are not adjusted for subclinical metabolic disorders and physical activity as it is difficult to classify work done as light, moderate or high for activity factor.

Conclusion: MCPD formula can recommend a low-carbohydrate diet for obese, pre-diabetic and pregnant women prone to gestational diabetes when compared to TDEE formula. MCPD represents a metabolically modulated energy recommendation, incorporating glycaemic handling capacity, whereas TDEE estimates energy expenditure based primarily on physical activity. However further study on diabetic and pregnant subjects has to be done to test the hypothesis and validate the formula for clinical use.