Final answer:
In summary, when daily caloric intake exceeds energy expenditure, an individual experiences a caloric surplus, leading to potential weight gain and increased fat storage. Maintaining energy homeostasis is essential for a healthy body weight. Obesity, resulting from consistent caloric surplus, poses significant health risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a person's daily food calories exceed the daily energy expenditure, this person is said to be in a state of caloric surplus. Over time, this can lead to an increase in the person's body fat storage. Conversely, if a person uses more energy than they consume, their body will metabolize stored fat to meet the energy deficit. This dynamic process is known as energy homeostasis, which is the balance between the energy consumed in food and the energy expended in metabolism and physical activities.
People who consistently consume more food energy than they use may become obese, a condition characterized by a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 kg/m² or greater. Obesity is associated with increased risks of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. It is important to understand that body weight management is influenced by caloric intake, energy expenditure, and a person's metabolic rate, which varies among individuals.
Therefore, maintaining an ideal body weight is essentially a matter of thermochemistry. Every additional 3,500 Calories consumed without being expended translates to approximately 1 pound of weight gain. To lose weight, one must expend more calories than ingested, aiming for a caloric deficit.