Final answer:
If you consume more calories than you burn, your body fat level increases due to the excess energy being stored as fat. A gain of approximately one pound of fat is expected for each excess 3,500 Calories consumed. This imbalance can lead to obesity and associated health risks while weight loss requires a caloric deficit.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you intake more calories than you expend, your body fat level will go up because you aren't using them. The balance between the calories consumed and the energy expended determines whether you will gain, lose, or maintain your weight. Calories are units of energy, and when consumed in excess, they are stored as body fat leading to possible weight gain and obesity.
For example, an additional intake of 3,500 Calories above your energy needs will result in approximately a pound of fat stored. This pattern of energy consumption over expenditure can lead to an increase in body mass index (BMI), with levels over 30.0 kg/m² categorizing an individual as obese. With obesity comes an increased risk of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and others.
To maintain or reach an ideal body weight, one must ingest a number of calories that aligns with their total daily energy expenditure. This may include consideration of basal metabolic rate, physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. The metabolism plays an essential role in how efficiently your body uses the food you eat, with fats and proteins requiring more energy to process than carbohydrates. Therefore, not just the quantity, but also the quality of food ingested affects your metabolism and overall health. The process of losing weight generally requires that you expend more energy than you ingest, creating a caloric deficit that forces the body to mobilize fat stores for energy.