How many calories should a 12 year-old eat per day

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

She is Caroline Susie.

Few things are as essential as nutrition, yet few things can feel as nebulous. Even the question of how to lose weight, once regarded as basic, is contested by experts, who say there’s more to it than simply eating less and exercising more.

How many calories should you eat a day?

How much calories should a 12-year-old eat to lose weight

There is no single answer to this question either, experts say. It depends on a number of variables, including your gender, age and weight among others.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture puts out rough calorie ranges as part of its dietary guidelines report, published every five years.

Here is how many calories the USDA says you should eat.

More exercise, fewer calories?:Weight loss is more complicated than that.

Health experts weigh in:'Mud' drinks and 'greens powders' are all over social media. What you need to know.

Ho