Counting Calories
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
A calorie is a type of measurement that indicates how much energy food gives us. Food labels tell you how many calories a food contains. In general, kids ages 7 to 12 should take in about 2,200 calories each day. Teenage girls should also need about 2,200 calories, while teenage boys require about 2,800.
Calorie Consumption
Here's a look at about how many calories you burn per hour for certain activities.
| Activity | Calories burned |
|---|---|
| Bicycling (12 miles per hour) | 384 |
| Dancing | 210 |
| Downhill skiing | 288 |
| Hiking | 288 |
| Jogging (6 mph) | 790 |
| Playing basketball | 380 |
| Playing soccer | 360 |
| Roller skating (9 mph) | 336 |
| Sleeping | 90 |
