0:00:02 > 0:00:05'100 calories.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07'What does it look like?
0:00:07 > 0:00:09'Well, it's two of these.'
0:00:11 > 0:00:13It's about this much bacon.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15One banana.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Two fish fingers.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And one quite small glass of this.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'They're all about 100 calories.'
0:00:24 > 0:00:27As a nation, we're becoming obsessed by the numbers
0:00:27 > 0:00:30stamped on every single packet of food we buy.
0:00:30 > 0:00:3370 calories per serving.
0:00:33 > 0:00:3480 calories a biscuit.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41It says on most packs, an average adult can have 2,000 calories a day.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And all this counting brings a large helping of guilt...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I'm not sure I should've had the beer AND the fudge cake.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49..to the things we love to eat.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54You might say, "Why should I care about calories? So what?"
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Well, as a doctor and as a scientist,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I think that is a very good question.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I'm not convinced it's all as black and white as we think,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10so I'm going to uncover the latest science about calories,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12and you're in for a bit of a surprise.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'm going to show you how the food industry comes up with
0:01:17 > 0:01:19the numbers on the packets,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and why they might be wrong.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25The makers have said 370 calories per portion.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- Yeah.- And we've found 410.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Three families will take our big calorie challenge.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38They'll test what's really the best way to burn the calories we eat...
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Mmm.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42..and find out why they might be better staying at home
0:01:42 > 0:01:44than going to the gym.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- What? - LAUGHTER
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And, my ultimate goal - I'll find out how we can all
0:01:50 > 0:01:53cut our calories without giving up our favourite foods.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57The answer might be double cream.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59This is my kind of health messaging.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03I want to get behind those numbers and find out
0:02:03 > 0:02:05if they're really worth counting.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I want to discover the truth about calories.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12But I'm not giving up any of the food I love.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24As a nation, we buy 72 trillion a year.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Over a lifetime, each one of us will consume about 100 million.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33We can't live without calories, but do we really know what they are?
0:02:33 > 0:02:37They come from food. Something to do with energy, isn't it?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I should know what a calorie is, though, shouldn't I, really,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42since we're always calorie counting?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It's a measurement of fat, right?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46I suppose it's the fat and the sugar
0:02:46 > 0:02:50and the content of your food, measured.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's not something I think about a lot.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53I just like to eat.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57It's a measure of energy that's in a food.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00That's what I'm led to believe.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Quite right, sir.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05All those calorie numbers are a measure of the energy in our food
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and the first thing I want to know is how far can we really trust them?
0:03:15 > 0:03:18To find out, I need to follow calories all the way back
0:03:18 > 0:03:20to their source.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And there are essentially just three different things that make up
0:03:24 > 0:03:25all the calories that we eat.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I love the countryside and farms,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35but in that romantic, slightly idiotic way
0:03:35 > 0:03:37that people who live only in the city do.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40As a reflection of how little I know,
0:03:40 > 0:03:45I've never dug up a potato, which is what I'm surrounded by here.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47But it can't be that hard, can it?
0:03:48 > 0:03:49I'm going to eat my words.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54HE GRUNTS
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Right, that's got it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Look at that.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Lovely bunch of potatoes.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I haven't done that particularly skilfully
0:04:05 > 0:04:07but, nonetheless, here we have a potato.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And look at this. I mean, I don't know much about farming
0:04:11 > 0:04:13but I do know what's going on inside here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Look at that.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It's potato starch, a carbohydrate,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20our first main source of calories.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27So this is about 150 calories.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And in this field there are about 500 million calories
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and all of these potatoes are going to a crisp factory
0:04:33 > 0:04:36to be finely sliced and turned into crisps.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Half a billion calories in a single field -
0:04:42 > 0:04:44it's mind boggling.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And all that energy comes from a source you might not expect.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's the sun.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Take the apple trees in an orchard.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Every summer, they do this amazing thing where they take sunlight
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and gas from atmosphere and they turn it into calories, they turn
0:05:05 > 0:05:11it into sugar so they're locking up the sun's energy inside every apple.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I know I sound like some ludicrous apple advertisement,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17but it's true - that's what's happening here.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21We've got sunlight energy locked up in an apple in the form of sugar.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26And that's true of all green plants.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30They take sunlight and turn it into calories.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Even grass.
0:05:33 > 0:05:40Cows munch it all day long and then almost magically transform it...
0:05:42 > 0:05:47..into the second main source of calories in our food - fat.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Milk is about 4% fat.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Cheers, guys!
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Finally, most of us eat meat from the animals themselves,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01pig meat being a prime example.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04But whatever thing you're eating from a pig, whether it's a kidney,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07a liver, or the bit we all love, the muscle, as you can see there,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11it's got protein in it and protein is our third source of calories.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So, in simple terms, all the calories we eat
0:06:16 > 0:06:20come in just three types - fat, protein and carbohydrate.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24But each of these takes a wide variety of different forms.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30It's one of the things that makes our diet really rich and varied
0:06:30 > 0:06:33but it also makes counting calories extremely complicated.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And this is at the heart of how the numbers on the packets
0:06:43 > 0:06:45are worked out.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48For carbohydrates, the food industry uses a standard figure
0:06:48 > 0:06:51of four calories per gram.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54For protein, it's the same -
0:06:54 > 0:06:55four calories per gram.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03And for fat, more than twice as much - nine calories per gram.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07But this four, four, nine system uses average values.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09The real figure depends on exactly what you're eating.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12For instance, is your protein bacon or egg?
0:07:15 > 0:07:16And it gets even more complicated
0:07:16 > 0:07:20in foods with lots of different ingredients.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Like these popular takeaway meals.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30They all have about the same number of calories.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33But try guessing how many.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36500?
0:07:38 > 0:07:39750?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43In fact, they all have over 1,000 calories -
0:07:43 > 0:07:46half our daily allowance on a single plate.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51But, for the food industry, guessing isn't good enough.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Every time you pick up a packaged food,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04the label appears to tell you exactly how many calories are in it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I want to find out how that's possible.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11So I've got access to one of the biggest
0:08:11 > 0:08:14suppliers of supermarket ready meals in the UK.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17There's steam coming out over there
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and some enormous spinning discs over there and production lines.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23And just the odd familiar sight,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26like a lasagne or a... or bangers and mash.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33Every year, this place pumps out a staggering 28 billion calories.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37You're making 800 kilos?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- 750 kilos of...- 750 kilos? - ..of cheese sauce, yeah.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44OK, so it's...it's like ten times your own weight.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46And a bit more, yeah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Oh, wow!
0:08:49 > 0:08:54- That'll be 3,000 meals for this one. - 3,000 meals?- Yeah.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56And they need to calculate the calorie content
0:08:56 > 0:08:58of every single meal.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- This whole kitchen area, we call it our big kitchen.- Yeah.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04And that's all it is, it's just a big kitchen.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07And everything we do is about weighing.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Bigger scales, but more accurate scales than you would have at home.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14As well as getting the weight right they also need to know
0:09:14 > 0:09:18how much carb, fat and protein is in each meal.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22We will test the fat content on each batch of sausages that come in
0:09:22 > 0:09:23to make sure that they
0:09:23 > 0:09:27are going to meet the calorie content of the final pack.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So, by weighing and testing the ingredients,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34they have an average figure for the calories in each portion.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Remarkably, I've spotted a beef lasagne
0:09:36 > 0:09:39that I eat quite a lot myself.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46So I'm now actually...I'm making my lunch for next week...
0:09:47 > 0:09:49..badly.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56My own efforts aside, the folks here do a good job of
0:09:56 > 0:09:59trying to ensure all the portions are consistent.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03So I'm pretty confident the calorie count
0:10:03 > 0:10:05will be in the right ball park.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09But when these meals are put in their packets,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12the labels will all display an identical number
0:10:12 > 0:10:15that appears to be accurate to the single calorie.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And of that I'm going to take some convincing.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28I want to find out how accurate those numbers really are,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31so I've come to an independent food laboratory in Kent.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35They've agreed to conduct a special test for us.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40They're going to check the calorie count on some popular foods
0:10:40 > 0:10:43that we've bought at random from different supermarkets.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48John Griffin runs this lab.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- I'm naturally a bit sceptical, so I don't always trust labels.- OK.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Can you tell us how many calories are in all this food?
0:10:58 > 0:10:59By testing them, yes, we can.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03We can tell you how many calories are in each of those products, yes.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11First we have to take each product
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and make a consistent mix of its ingredients.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18It's brilliant. You saw it here first!
0:11:18 > 0:11:20This is going to hit the high street soon -
0:11:20 > 0:11:21pizza smoothie.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27There's only one thing to do - have a taste.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35It's pretty bad!
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I'm not going to lie, that is pretty bad.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Hm, perhaps pizza smoothie won't catch on after all.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Anyway, this gloop goes off to be analysed in the lab.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It's separated into its different chemical constituents,
0:11:51 > 0:11:52which are measured precisely.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59This gives John an accurate way to check the calorie label.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- OK, so first up, a pork pie. - Yeah.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I would suggest one of the best sources of calories that anyone
0:12:08 > 0:12:10could ever, ever consume.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15- So the makers have said 370 calories per portion.- Yeah.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- And we've found 410.- Yeah.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20So it's a 40 calorie difference.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- So it's about 10%. - Mm, that's about 10%, yeah.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Right, well, the pork pie has 40 calories more per portion
0:12:28 > 0:12:30than the label claims it should have.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32OK, first result, perhaps not a massive surprise.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The makers underestimating the calories.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36Slightly underestimating.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Let's see if that... I want to see if that trend continues.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Next up, the can of beans.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44The label said 162 per portion.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Our test said 175. That's 13 calories over.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52And the beef dinner ready meal.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56The label said 419 but our test said 458.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59That's 39 calories over.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Cottage pie.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Per portion, which for me would be the whole thing, but
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- they probably recommend...- No, it is actually the whole, the whole thing.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Is it? OK. - That's a big cottage pie.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12So they're, the manufacturer is saying 485
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and we found less actually - we found 470.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Yeah, slightly less.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And the next four foods all had fewer calories
0:13:19 > 0:13:21than the label stated.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- Last but not least, a pasta bake. - OK, a nice ready meal.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28It does, it does look good actually.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The manufacturers say 667.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33You guys say 670, so that is bang on.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- That's very, very close. - Very effective.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37The pasta bake was spot on
0:13:37 > 0:13:41but the others varied by up to 10% either side.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45This may seem surprising, given how precise the labels appear,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48but it is within government guidelines
0:13:48 > 0:13:51because the number of calories will change slightly
0:13:51 > 0:13:54from pack to pack and there's a limit to the accuracy of the test.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The good news if you want to count calories is that
0:13:57 > 0:14:00even if the numbers aren't correct day-to-day,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04over the long term you can trust they'll average out to be correct.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The next thing I want to know isn't about eating calories,
0:14:16 > 0:14:17it's about burning them.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24And here, the latest research is making us all think again.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31The calorie is just a measurement of the amount of energy in our food
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and, like most things in life, there's a sort of Goldilocks amount.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Too many and we get fat,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38too few calories and we literally starve to death.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42So the question is when does too few become too many?
0:14:42 > 0:14:44How many calories do we actually need?
0:14:48 > 0:14:52A humpback whale needs 100,000 calories a day
0:14:52 > 0:14:54to power its massive body.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57That's over a tonne of krill.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Whilst your pet cat needs only 270 calories or so,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06a small tin of cat food.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And a mouse needs just ten calories, that's about three peanuts.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Now I may not like krill or cat food, but I still,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18as an average man, need about 2,500 calories a day.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21An average woman, about 2,000.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25But whatever you're eating, there's one basic rule -
0:15:25 > 0:15:28you only need as many calories as you use.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But we Brits are eating more than we use,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and that's why two thirds of us are overweight.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42So, what's the best way to use up all those extra calories?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Exercise.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Exercise, I would guess.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Sustained walk.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- Go for a jog.- Go for a jog, exercise, yes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Right...up.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Over the head.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59That's one...
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'Hard exercise seems the obvious answer.'
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Two...
0:16:04 > 0:16:06We should've picked the lighter balls!
0:16:06 > 0:16:08'But what if we've got it wrong?
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'To get to the truth, I've come to meet Dr Jason Gill
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'from the University of Glasgow.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16'He's an expert in how we burn calories.'
0:16:16 > 0:16:21- It's quite hard, isn't it? - OK and then...- And down.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Is this a good way of burning calories?
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Erm, while you're doing this, you're burning quite a few calories,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31but I think we wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Two...
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'There must be a better way, and Jason's going to help us find it.'
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's Saturday morning and perhaps understandably everyone else
0:16:49 > 0:16:52is in bed, and I think there's really only one thing you can do
0:16:52 > 0:16:55on a morning like this - have an enormous fry-up
0:16:55 > 0:16:58with as many calories as you can put on your plate.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08We've asked three Glasgow families to be our guinea pigs
0:17:08 > 0:17:10in a unique experiment.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- Mmm! Can you smell the bacon?- Yeah.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Yes, it's one of those smells that makes you hungry, isn't it? Mmm!
0:17:18 > 0:17:23The families are going to start the day with a 600-calorie fry-up,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28but after that, they'll spend their morning doing very different things,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and we're going to monitor how many of those breakfast calories
0:17:31 > 0:17:32they're actually using.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34You'll be burning yourself.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37First, Jim and Elaine Morris.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41They've got the toughest morning ahead - a workout at the gym.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Are you finding, as you get into your 40s,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46that you have to start being a bit more aware?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48I've never worried about weight at all and it's probably
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- in the last three years, I'm really struggling to keep it off.- Right.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Whilst you say you're struggling, I still think you're looking good.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Ah!- Right. Right, right, yeah!
0:17:59 > 0:18:02A few miles down the road are Nick and Margaret Shenkin.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Look, Daddy's cooking!
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You've never seen that before!
0:18:07 > 0:18:09THEY LAUGH
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The Shenkins will spend their morning doing housework.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And just around the corner with their 600-calorie breakfast...
0:18:19 > 0:18:25- Smells good.- ..are the normally super-active Patrick and Roma Byrne.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Not today, though.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32We've asked Patrick and Roma to sit on their backsides
0:18:32 > 0:18:33and do absolutely nothing.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Do you feel you've got a bum deal, having to stay in this morning
0:18:39 > 0:18:41playing a board game?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Yeah, we were a bit disappointed
0:18:43 > 0:18:45because we thought we'd be the ones doing the exercise.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47'We're just testing the adults.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52'They'll all be wearing devices that measure how many calories they're burning.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Ready... Off we go, then. 20 seconds.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58That's it.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Jim and Elaine's workout will last an hour,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03monitored by our expert, Jason.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Good job.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09How can you get a sense, when you go to the gym and do stuff like this,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11of how many calories you're burning?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13The harder you find it, the more calories you're burning, so the
0:19:13 > 0:19:16key indicators are whether you're feeling...if you're out of breath.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19If you're breathing hard and finding it hard to hold a conversation,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21then you're likely to be burning calories fast.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23If you feel your heart beating fast,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26you're likely to be burning calories faster.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28The harder you feel it,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31the more calories you're going to be burning.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35How many calories per minute do you think...?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I mean, when they're working hard, they might be burning up to
0:19:37 > 0:19:39about 20 calories a minute, but they're...
0:19:39 > 0:19:41that's only on the times that they're working hard.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Two to go, team.- If you're not very fit, what happens,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46you go very hard and you get tired.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50So if we're really pushing ourselves,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53we can burn about 20 calories a minute.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56At this rate, we'd burn off a 600-calorie breakfast
0:19:56 > 0:19:58in just half an hour.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Well done, take a breather.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02The trouble is, most of us can't keep that up.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04I am absolutely pooped!
0:20:04 > 0:20:06So, to maximise the number of calories you burn, what you
0:20:06 > 0:20:10have to do is be able to sustain the intensity for a long
0:20:10 > 0:20:12period of time, so you might be better off going a little bit
0:20:12 > 0:20:16easier for a longer period of time to maximise your calorie burn.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Nice and strong, standing up tall on top of the box...
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So going all out at the gym might burn you out
0:20:22 > 0:20:24before it burns up all your calories.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Halfway through, guys!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Now, at the other end of the scale,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31how are the couch potatoes getting on?
0:20:31 > 0:20:36Patrick and Roma, they're sitting at home. How many calories are they going to be burning for this hour?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Well, a bigger person might be burning up to about 90 calories,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42a smaller person 60 calories an hour, just sitting down and doing nothing.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And that's because your... all your body's tissues need energy
0:20:45 > 0:20:49just to operate, your brain needs energy, your liver, all the
0:20:49 > 0:20:52body tissues require calories just to sit down and do nothing.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Being alive takes actually most of the energy that we burn in the day.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Sitting down and doing nothing probably burns about two thirds
0:21:01 > 0:21:04of the calories the average person burns over the course of the day.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Really? That's most of our calories is just...?
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Just from sitting down doing nothing, just from existing. - Just from existing...?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12So we're ahead, aren't we, already? Without having gone to the gym,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15without even getting out of bed, we're burning calories
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- just every second of the day? - We're burning calories. Absolutely.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, just sitting around, Patrick and Roma
0:21:21 > 0:21:24are still burning one or two calories every minute.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27But at that rate, they'll take up to ten hours
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to burn off their big breakfast.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Our third family, Nick and Margaret, are keeping busy with the housework.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Their level of activity will be changing all the time
0:21:37 > 0:21:40as they do different chores throughout the morning.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44We'll be back later in the programme to find out
0:21:44 > 0:21:47which family are our calorie-burning champions.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59We know a big breakfast is about 600 calories,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03but what else has the same calorie count?
0:22:03 > 0:22:08One portion of apple pie and cream...
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and a bar of chocolate that I'd gobble up in about five minutes.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21The least calorific food of all, celery, two large buckets of that.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And how many bags of peanuts?
0:22:23 > 0:22:24Just one.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31But what does that figure, 600 calories, actually mean?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35When we tuck in, how much energy are we putting into our bodies?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Well, there's one way I can think of
0:22:41 > 0:22:44to release calories from our food in a way we can see.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Right, that fits nicely.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50'It's dangerous work, so I've got explosives expert
0:22:50 > 0:22:52'Charlie Adcock on hand.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Right, and just to make absolutely sure that this isn't
0:22:56 > 0:22:58explosive cereal...
0:23:01 > 0:23:03That is your standard puffed cereal.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07'I absolutely love doing stuff like this.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'And now we add some liquid oxygen.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'It doesn't put in any extra energy, but it does make sure that
0:23:13 > 0:23:16'every single calorie from the food is released.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Do you think that'll be sufficient? - Is that all right?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23That there, put that there...
0:23:28 > 0:23:31OK, ready?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36HE LAUGHS
0:23:40 > 0:23:43This breakfast cereal inferno
0:23:43 > 0:23:47is just 100 calories worth of food - spectacular!
0:23:52 > 0:23:55THEY LAUGH
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Right!
0:23:58 > 0:24:02So there is a really enormous amount of energy in a...
0:24:02 > 0:24:04in a fairly small bowl of cereal?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Yeah, we'll get the biscuits out.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11'Next up, one of my favourite snacks, digestive biscuits.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13'140 calories in these two.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Ohh!
0:24:26 > 0:24:29'Jet-propelled biscuits, whatever next?'
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Wow!
0:24:45 > 0:24:49'And the grand finale, two large packets of crisps -
0:24:49 > 0:24:52'a scary 400 calories.'
0:24:53 > 0:24:57This is the amount of crisps that a very greedy person might eat.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It might be the amount of crisps I might eat!
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- Would this be a long movie...?- Yes. - Can you easily see this...?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- Yeah, I mean, we've all... we've all done that.- Yeah.- OK.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11So now we add the lovely liquid oxygen...you can see there.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Ready?- I'd stand back a little bit.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Whoa-ho!
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Ha-ha!
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I'm not going to eat crisps for the rest of the day.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- No.- Maybe not even tomorrow.- No...
0:25:34 > 0:25:38And then I'll be right back to business as usual!
0:25:38 > 0:25:39That was spectacular.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43We've completely melted an aluminium baking tray.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'Even as a scientist, I am astounded at the energy
0:25:48 > 0:25:53'contained in just 400 calories, and most of us put at least
0:25:53 > 0:25:57'five times that much energy into our bodies every single day.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'But we obviously don't have roaring fires burning in our bellies.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09'Our body has to release all that energy in a very different way.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:21To show you how, I've come back to medical school.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25'What we're about to see is something truly fascinating,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27'but not for the faint-hearted.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32'Anatomist Clare Smith is showing me a real human digestive system.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40'It's a vast alien-looking mass of tubes, and this is the stomach.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:43I guess I thought it would be a really big bag,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46if I think of how much I feel I can stuff into it.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49So it is capable of stretching, so if you've eaten a large meal,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- with a couple of glasses of water, it is able to stretch.- OK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- It typically holds about one litre of fluid.- OK, OK.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00And then from the stomach, you then have a region here where
0:27:00 > 0:27:04you're then going into the small intestines, and all of these
0:27:04 > 0:27:06that you can see here,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08this is all small intestines.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11This is where the action happens, as it were.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14So this is the small intestine running along here.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18This is our special structure called the mesentery, which delivers
0:27:18 > 0:27:22all the arteries and the veins to the small intestines so the arteries
0:27:22 > 0:27:26are bringing nice fresh oxygen to the intestines and the veins
0:27:26 > 0:27:29are taking our calories back to be used around the rest of the body.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31The mesentery, I really like that.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I don't know if you can get the...
0:27:33 > 0:27:35If you hold it up to the light, you can see the blood vessels.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40'Despite its extensive blood supply
0:27:40 > 0:27:45'and enormous length, the gut still takes hours to break food down
0:27:45 > 0:27:48'into a form that it can be burned by the rest of our body.'
0:27:50 > 0:27:53There's on average about six metres of small intestines.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- Six metres?- Six metres. - So, so three of me and a bit....
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- And a bit.- Standing on top of each other's head...- As you can tell, it's all coiled up, erm,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02in a way that doesn't get tangled.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- I'm just kind of amazed at how it all works.- It's always amazing.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Every time you look at different parts of the anatomy
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and you understand, it is always fascinating.
0:28:15 > 0:28:21And the way our guts work means that not all calories are equal.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23We absorb most of the calories in our food.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30But some foods are rich in fibre, and fibre is different.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35We only absorb about half the calories it contains.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39The rest passes through our gut undigested.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43And some fibre can absorb water in our stomach, making us
0:28:43 > 0:28:45feel fuller for longer.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58So, back to find out the results of our big calorie challenge.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06We gave three families a 600-calorie breakfast,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and with the help of Dr Jason Gill from the University of Glasgow,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12we've been monitoring how many of those calories
0:29:12 > 0:29:14they've actually used throughout the morning.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17They've all been doing very different things.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Elaine and Jim did a strenuous workout.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Nick and Margaret did a bit of housework.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28While Patrick and Roma did... well, nothing at all.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34So now it's time to see who's burned off their breakfast.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36I'm going to start with Elaine and Jim.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38LAUGHTER
0:29:38 > 0:29:42So, Jim, you've burned 834, so you can have your lunch.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45- Thank you very much. - Elaine, you burned 729.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46Yes!
0:29:47 > 0:29:49What?!
0:29:49 > 0:29:53So the main difference between that is the fact that Jim's heavier.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54- That...- Sorry, Jim.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57All that difference can be explained by the difference
0:29:57 > 0:29:59in your weight - you both worked equally hard.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Muscle is heavier, yeah, sure.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Three.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07So by doing their workout, Elaine and Jim had both burned off
0:30:07 > 0:30:10more than the 600 calories they ate at breakfast.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14And Jim had burned about 100 calories more,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18because the bigger you are, the more calories you use.
0:30:18 > 0:30:19That's five.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24Next, Patrick and Roma, who spent the morning on the couch.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28So Patrick, although you did nothing between 9.15 in the morning
0:30:28 > 0:30:29and 1.15 in the afternoon,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32you burned more than your full English breakfast,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34- you burned 640 calories.- OK.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39- Just by sitting still.- Perfect! - So that's the energy of being alive.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- Yeah.- Roma, you burned half of that, 292.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44In fact, less than half just sitting still.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- So again, it's the difference in your weight.- Yeah.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Patrick is more than twice as heavy as Roma,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51so that's why you're burning more.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Because you're bigger, you're able to eat more calories,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- you need more calories because there's more of you.- Told you!
0:30:57 > 0:30:58LAUGHTER
0:31:01 > 0:31:03By sitting around all morning,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Roma didn't even get halfway to burning off her breakfast calories,
0:31:07 > 0:31:12but I'm amazed to find that Patrick did get to the magic 600.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17He's used twice as many calories as Roma just because he's twice as big.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Now, finally, Nick and Margaret.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27They've spent the morning doing the housework.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31So, Nick,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34just doing housework between 9.15 and 1.15 in the afternoon,
0:31:34 > 0:31:39Nick, you did 862 calories, Margaret, you did 629 calories.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- What?! - LAUGHTER
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- You didn't do half as much as me. - So I need to do more housework now?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47LAUGHTER This is also not good for me.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Nick, presumably you haven't been destroyed
0:31:50 > 0:31:52by your morning of housework?
0:31:52 > 0:31:54With some counselling later, I'll get over it, I think.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56- I think I'll be fine. - You'll rehydrate,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58do some stretching, recover.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- So this was not an arduous morning for you?- No, absolutely not.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Compared to your experience, Jim?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I feel physically actually quite weak
0:32:07 > 0:32:10in terms of muscles and strength.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14- So it's been quite draining. - It's fascinating, isn't it?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Yeah. I guess there's two things here.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21What...what Jim did was perfect for getting fit.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24So what Jim did will make him fitter,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27whereas what Nick did won't necessarily make him fitter.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31But in terms of calories being burned, what Nick did wins out.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34So moderate, continuous activity over a long period of time
0:32:34 > 0:32:35burns the most calories.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Our experiment has been a real revelation.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I'd never have guessed that just doing the housework
0:32:44 > 0:32:48would make Nick and Margaret our calorie-burning champions.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Or that even doing nothing at all,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Patrick would burn twice as many calories as Roma
0:32:54 > 0:32:56just because he's bigger.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59When it comes to how many calories we use,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03our size and our lifestyle make more of a difference than we might think.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16If you regularly eat more calories than you burn,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19the simple truth is you'll put on weight.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Just 100 extra calories a day will add up over a year
0:33:24 > 0:33:28to about five more kilos in body weight.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35That's the best part of a stone.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49And it's all too easy to consume those extra calories,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52because eating is one of life's great pleasures.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57We tend to indulge that pleasure
0:33:57 > 0:34:01whenever we can and wherever we are, even when we're not really hungry.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- Wonderful!- Thank you so much.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09So we tend to think of food... as fuel,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12but I don't need this paella as fuel.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I'm not sure any of these people need any of this food as fuel.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18So we've come here to look at something else -
0:34:18 > 0:34:20how our minds affect what we put in our mouths.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27I've set up my own stall at Camden Market in London
0:34:27 > 0:34:29to see a trick our mind plays
0:34:29 > 0:34:32which can change the number of calories we eat.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34WHIRRING
0:34:34 > 0:34:36We've created one milkshake,
0:34:36 > 0:34:40but packaged it up with two very different labels.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45One suggests it's an indulgent high-calorie treat,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48while the other claims it's a healthy low-calorie drink.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Now, could it be the case
0:34:50 > 0:34:52that what's actually written on the bottle
0:34:52 > 0:34:55is as important as what's inside it?
0:34:56 > 0:34:58I want to discover
0:34:58 > 0:35:01whether the number of calories we think we've consumed
0:35:01 > 0:35:04can actually affect how hungry we feel.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10So I'm going to play a trick on a group of identical twins.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18We're separating each pair
0:35:18 > 0:35:22and I'm giving one twin the shake with the high-calorie label.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26They think they're having nearly 900 calories.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30This is having a massive number of calories
0:35:30 > 0:35:32at the beginning of the day.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36It is actually... For a UK woman it is almost half your day's calories.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- Oh.- So, sorry about that.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40After my sales patter,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43we're hoping they're fooled into feeling really full.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- I don't think I could drink that all, not for breakfast.- OK.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48- I think it's very satisfying, actually.- Yeah.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49This is very, very filling.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Now I'm giving the other twin exactly the same shake,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56but with the low-calorie label.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59They think they're having less than 200 calories.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03A normal drink like this would be a lot more calories...
0:36:03 > 0:36:07- I think for the taste. - Yeah, it's lovely. Very nice.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09What we're not telling them
0:36:09 > 0:36:12is that both milkshakes are, of course, identical.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17And it doesn't take long for one of the group who think
0:36:17 > 0:36:20they've had a low-calorie drink to start feeling peckish.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22It filled me up for about five minutes
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and then I got hungry again after.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Two hours later, the results are convincing.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Not at all hungry.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38Well, I still feel quite hungry.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41I feel as if I haven't eaten anything at all this morning.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45- Yeah, I'm really full.- I'm ready for lunch now. I'm quite hungry.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46I could pick at some food,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48but I don't think I could eat like a full meal,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50just some snacky, snacky food.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53It depends what's on offer, but I think I could eat quite a lot.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Time to reveal the truth to our twins.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00So the lie we told to you is that the Sensi-Shake,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04guilt-free satisfaction, had 200 calories or a little bit less
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and this shake had... the indulgence, decadence,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09you deserve French vanilla
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- had almost 900 calories.- Whoa!
0:37:11 > 0:37:16In fact, both shakes were the same and they both had 400 calories.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Did anyone guess what we were doing?
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- No.- No.- Really?- No.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Did you believe that it was a 200-calorie drink?
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- Yes. Honestly, yes.- Did you, yeah? - Most definitely, yeah.- Yeah.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Yes. I think, cos it just felt so light and everything,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31although when you drank it you did feel full,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33but afterwards, as I say, about 15,
0:37:33 > 0:37:3710-15 minutes later, I was starting to feel hungry again.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38Amazing!
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Even when I revealed our trick,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44they still found it hard to believe they'd been fooled.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- Chris, can I just ask you a question?- Yeah.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Have these got...or do they have the same thickness?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Yeah, they're... It's the same product.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- It's the same drink.- No!- We put the same liquid in both bottles.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- All we've done is put different labels on.- Wow!
0:38:04 > 0:38:06It's brilliant, isn't it?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08None of us can escape the food industry
0:38:08 > 0:38:10tinkering with our brains, and they know that.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13They know that the physical sensations
0:38:13 > 0:38:15from our mouths and our guts,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18the way we interpret those sensations, is massively influenced
0:38:18 > 0:38:20by what's going on in our mind.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24And the terrifying thing is, even when you know it's going on,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27you still can't help being affected by it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39Alcohol is seven calories per gram, second only to fat in its calories.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Now, a single drink might not sound too disastrous.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46A pint of 4% strength lager,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49a double gin and tonic,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51and a large glass of wine,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54they're all under 200 calories.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00That's less than a pint of cola, which is about 230 calories.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04But pub calories can mount up.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08A night out on three pints of lager, a couple of packets of crisps
0:39:08 > 0:39:13and a small bag of peanuts, about 1,500 calories.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Not far off our entire daily allowance.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And, of course, it's not just the pub.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Our favourite treats tend to be really high-calorie food.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Mmm!
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Calorie-dense, it's called,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35packed with loads of fat and carbs.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Now, I'm not about to say that you should stop eating
0:39:40 > 0:39:42this kind of food, cos frankly we've heard it all before,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44we didn't listen then, we're not about to listen now,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47but I do want to try and find a new way
0:39:47 > 0:39:50of shaving calories off this kind of food.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54A way that won't leave life feeling bland and joyless.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04First, I've come to see how the professionals do it.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I've got access to the kitchens of a major supermarket.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Here product developer Kevin and independent chef Steve
0:40:17 > 0:40:21are creating a brand-new low-calorie version of bangers and mash.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Their challenge is to strip calories out of this hearty meal.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35My first surprise here is to see a chef at all.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39I guess I imagined they were prepared by a robot.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43It's really nice to see Steve, obviously not a robot.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47The supermarket already makes a luxury version of bangers and mash.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51This is the kind of luxury sausage and mash, I guess.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53560 calories, 400 grams.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57And presumably here... you've gone for taste?
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Yeah, if you're having a sausage and mash,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02you want your mash to be really creamy, indulgent,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04and you want it to be restaurant-quality,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and that's what we aim to do.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09OK, let's see how Steve reduces those calories.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12I've always suspected there must be
0:41:12 > 0:41:14a lot of junky additives and flavourings involved,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17but Steve's doing none of that here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22Step one is to simply use half-fat sausages, saving 98 calories.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Step two, replace some of the potatoes in the mash
0:41:28 > 0:41:30with carrots, parsnips and swede.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- Mix these two together? - Yes, exactly.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38OK. Another 28 calories saved.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Step three is a real surprise.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44We blend our cooked mashed potato
0:41:44 > 0:41:46with double cream rather than with butter,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48cos double cream has half the level of fat.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Oh, really? But you've still got double cream
0:41:50 > 0:41:51- in the low-fat meal?- Yes, yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- Which presumably adds that kind of richness?- Richness, yeah.- Exactly.
0:41:54 > 0:42:01Using a little cream and no butter actually saves another 50 calories.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04But all this only works if the meal tastes good.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Now, like most people, I love bangers and mash,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13so will it pass my taste test?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15First, the luxury version.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Right, gravy.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Nice mouthful with everything on it.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- Mmm! I mean, that is really good. - Good?- It's good.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27The moment of truth. I'm quite excited about this.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31- Are you nervous, Steve?- I'm not nervous, I'm totally confident. LAUGHTER
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Totally confident!
0:42:33 > 0:42:37So now I'll have the same forkful of the low-calorie version,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40354 calories per portion.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48That is really good.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51That is really, really good.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54The only really noticeable difference
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- is it's not as salty.- Yeah.- Yep.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58And that's the thing you can taste.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Let's just try a bit of the mash. Let's try a bit of the mash.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05That is a really... Honestly, a really satisfying meal.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Steve has stripped a surprising 200 calories out of the luxury meal.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Now, he's done it by substituting some of the ingredients,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20losing potatoes and cutting out butter.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24But I really want to see if we can go one step further,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27find a way we can really cheat the system,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31cut the calories without giving up any of our guilty pleasures.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33And we all have them.
0:43:34 > 0:43:35Chocolate. THEY LAUGH
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Chocolate.- Chocolate and bacon.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Sweets, that's what I do wrong.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42- Yes, it's...- Chocolates. - Chocolates, yeah.
0:43:42 > 0:43:43That's where your calories are.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46All the things I buy and I shouldn't buy,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49wrapped normally in shiny paper, and taste delicious.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Sweets, oil...and red meat.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55- Pastries, creams and things like that, and chocolates.- Yeah.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58- Erm...but I wouldn't cut them out. - Yeah, I wouldn't either, but...
0:43:58 > 0:44:01- Feed the soul.- You know, yeah. - THEY LAUGH
0:44:01 > 0:44:03You shouldn't have to give up anything, cos you know...
0:44:03 > 0:44:06Anyway, we're just on the way for a Cornish pasty, aren't we?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08- Yeah, let's go get a pie.- Yeah.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14I don't want to give up any of that stuff either,
0:44:14 > 0:44:17so I've enlisted the help of nutritionist Amanda Ursell.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22We're taking over a Glasgow restaurant for the afternoon.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26And we're going to attempt what seems impossible -
0:44:26 > 0:44:30to strip a load of calories out of their luxurious Sunday lunch
0:44:30 > 0:44:32without changing a single ingredient.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Out front, we've got two tables of volunteers
0:44:36 > 0:44:38who don't know what we're up to.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41One will be served up the standard fare,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44the other will have our low-calorie version.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46And we're hoping they won't notice.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- So you're all hungry? - Yeah, we're all starving.- Yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53- Are you really?- Yeah.- You don't have any idea what we're doing, do you?
0:44:53 > 0:44:55- We don't.- No, and I'm not going to tell you.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Back in the kitchen is chef Chris.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04He's cooking three hearty courses -
0:45:04 > 0:45:08soup, steak and chips and a full-cream dessert.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11The way Chris normally cooks it,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14the calorie count is a whopping 1,800,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17pretty much our entire daily allowance.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21But we've got five kitchen secrets to cut those calories,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and Amanda to keep an eye on the numbers.
0:45:24 > 0:45:25- Can we do this?- Yeah, we can.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28There are some really clever little tricks you can do here,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30but also at home, and that's the important thing,
0:45:30 > 0:45:33whereby you can actually reduce the calories in your meal
0:45:33 > 0:45:36without reducing the amount of food you're eating,
0:45:36 > 0:45:40and, hopefully, make you feel fuller for longer afterwards.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45So for starters it's chicken soup and our first kitchen secret.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47We're not going to take anything out,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50we're going to put something in - more liquid.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52This won't reduce the calories,
0:45:52 > 0:45:57but it should make the diners feel more full so they eat less later on.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59So they're going to feel full for longer
0:45:59 > 0:46:02and they're going to need fewer chips.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05So soup is a great way of filling up,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07feeling full for a long time and not having too many calories.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13Next, the main course - time to start stripping out calories.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19- So we want to make low-calorie steak and chips.- OK.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Do you think that can be done?
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- Would you know how to do that? - Erm...no. LAUGHTER
0:46:24 > 0:46:27I like fat, I like butter, I like salt,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30so erm...this'll be a challenge.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I love this. You can reduce your calories
0:46:34 > 0:46:35by just eating celery all day,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38but I don't want to eat celery, I want to eat steak and chips.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40And what's so good is we're going to show you
0:46:40 > 0:46:43how to reduce the calories in steak and chips
0:46:43 > 0:46:45without changing any of the ingredients.
0:46:45 > 0:46:46I just love it.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49This is my kind of health messaging.
0:46:51 > 0:46:52First, the chips.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57I'm amazed to find the calories can be doubled just by the cooking oil.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01So here's our second kitchen secret.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Give the basket an almighty shake and bash.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08So you can see the calories falling off those chips
0:47:08 > 0:47:10back into the deep fat fryer.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11That is awesome. OK.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15'Our third secret is really more of a cheat.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17'There's evidence that the bigger the portion,
0:47:17 > 0:47:20'the more we're tempted to eat.'
0:47:20 > 0:47:22So because these guys have had a big bowl of soup,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24they don't need all these chips,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28so one of the big ways of reducing calories is portion control.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30I'm taking three chips off each plate.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34Still looks like a big helping,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37they're still going to be full, promise.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40'Now, this is where it gets really interesting.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41'The steak.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45'When you start to cook it, its colour and texture begin to change,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47'but beyond what the naked eye can see
0:47:47 > 0:47:50'there's something far more important going on.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54'Here, I've got some pictures of cooked steak
0:47:54 > 0:47:57'magnified 400 times by a powerful microscope.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00'This is how it looks when it's cooked for just a short time
0:48:00 > 0:48:01'and served rare.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04'A pretty solid mass. Our gut has to work really hard
0:48:04 > 0:48:08'to break this down, and we don't absorb as many calories.'
0:48:08 > 0:48:12You can sort of see that's...that's all very tightly bound together
0:48:12 > 0:48:15by all this connective tissue, it's hard to digest.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22'But look what happens when you cook the steak for longer.'
0:48:22 > 0:48:25- Wow.- It's really obviously broken up into these fibres.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30'Cooking has started the process of breaking the meat down,
0:48:30 > 0:48:34'so in our gut it's likely we use up fewer calories to digest it.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38'So here's our fourth kitchen secret.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41'To cut the calories you actually absorb from steak,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44'don't cook it well done, cook it rare.'
0:48:44 > 0:48:48So, one of the things we're hoping is that if our low-calorie table
0:48:48 > 0:48:52has the rare steak it will actually take more calories to burn it.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54- OK.- So use calories by eating.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57- It's nice, though, isn't it? It's really clear.- Yeah, really neat.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00'Out at the tables, how are our meals going down?'
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- Lovely.- I normally eat medium-rare, but that is gorgeous.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07Yeah, I like that.
0:49:07 > 0:49:08It's absolutely beautiful.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10Just look at that, clean plates.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13If they'd licked those boards they couldn't be any cleaner.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16And one of our tables on the lower-fat, lower-cal tables
0:49:16 > 0:49:17has actually left two chips,
0:49:17 > 0:49:20so we're clearly not leaving people unsatisfied.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25'Now for the biggest challenge yet.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28'This is cranachan, a traditional Scottish dessert -
0:49:28 > 0:49:33'oats, honey, whisky and masses of double cream.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36'700 calories of pure indulgence.'
0:49:36 > 0:49:40- A challenging pudding... - To make healthier.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43..to make healthier without changing any ingredients.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47'But to lop off an impressive 100 calories
0:49:47 > 0:49:50'we have a fifth and final kitchen secret.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52'Thin air.'
0:49:53 > 0:49:57So what we're going to use is this siphon, or cream whipper,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and this injects... There's a gas canister here,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03and it injects gas into the cream and you get much more volume,
0:50:03 > 0:50:07much more gas whipped into it than whipping it by hand.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09So people will just simply be eating less,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13but the portion should look just as big, that's the thing.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14One, two, three.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Oh, you can really see mine is a lot less dense actually.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24- How much? Like that?- Perfect.
0:50:24 > 0:50:25Great. OK.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27Although yours looks nicer.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38'So, time to add it all up.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42'With our five kitchen secrets -
0:50:42 > 0:50:44'the fuller-for-longer soup,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47'the shake-and-bash chips,
0:50:47 > 0:50:49'the reduced portion size,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51'the rare steak...
0:50:52 > 0:50:54'..and the aerated cream dessert -
0:50:54 > 0:50:56how many calories have we managed to save?
0:50:58 > 0:51:00'Well, that is spectacular.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02'Without changing a single ingredient,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05'Amanda's calculated that we've managed to strip out
0:51:05 > 0:51:08'a whopping 360 calories from the meal.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13'That's more calories than there were in the entire
0:51:13 > 0:51:16'bangers and mash ready meal I tasted in the supermarket kitchen.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19'I didn't think we'd manage half as much.'
0:51:20 > 0:51:22We're just doing clever little things that overall
0:51:22 > 0:51:25and over time could have a big impact on your weight.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29- There you go... George, you have finished.- I have.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31So what do you think, are you all feeling full, satisfied?
0:51:31 > 0:51:33- Very good, fantastic!- Yeah.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35You're not feeling like we fed you
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- low-calorie nonsense?- No. - No, not at all.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39I mean, I left two chips.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41- Say again?- I left two chips.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Someone left two chips, yeah, I was really impressed with that.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47I was. I really... I'd had... Yeah.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50So the key thing is, the number of calories
0:51:50 > 0:51:53we saved you over the course of the meal compared to that table
0:51:53 > 0:51:55- was 360 calories, OK?- Wow.
0:51:55 > 0:52:00So that's either another big portion of chips or three glasses of wine.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02Wow! Three glasses of wine.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04THEY ALL TALK AND LAUGH
0:52:04 > 0:52:07The point is not now that you are all going to drink
0:52:07 > 0:52:09three glasses of wine!
0:52:09 > 0:52:12No. Oh, but I'll be cooking with that...
0:52:12 > 0:52:15'Hmm, I'm not sure that's quite the right message.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18'Oh, well, it's Sunday lunch.'
0:52:18 > 0:52:19Cheers!
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Over the course of this programme I've found out how far
0:52:25 > 0:52:27we can trust the calorie numbers on the packets.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30I've discovered the best way to burn the calories I eat.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35And I've learned a few secrets
0:52:35 > 0:52:38about how to cut the calories in my favourite foods.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Now it's time for me to put all this knowledge to the test.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Starting with breakfast, for one day, I want to see
0:52:51 > 0:52:54whether I can get my calorie count more or less right on my own.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01Right, so for the next 24 hours I'm going to try and exactly match
0:53:01 > 0:53:03my calories out with my calories in,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06but I'm not going to obsessively count them,
0:53:06 > 0:53:08I'm just going to try and be calorie-aware.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11So first up, my breakfast.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Now I've got my normal bowl of Cornflakes,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15but to the flakes I've added bran,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18so that's very fibrous, quite indigestible, it'll keep me
0:53:18 > 0:53:19feeling fuller for longer.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21It's good in other ways as well.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22I've also got two eggs.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Eggs are quite low-calorie, they're relatively low-fat
0:53:25 > 0:53:27but they're high in protein, so what that means is the protein is
0:53:27 > 0:53:30very good at keeping you full for a long time.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32So I'm hoping that this breakfast
0:53:32 > 0:53:34will keep me feeling full until lunchtime.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37I shouldn't need a mid-morning treat.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40I'm just going to see if by thinking about it and being calorie-aware
0:53:40 > 0:53:44I can get those two numbers, calories in versus calories out,
0:53:44 > 0:53:45to match up.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52The production team are counting the calories in my food
0:53:52 > 0:53:54and I'm monitoring how many I use.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59First, a 30-minute bike to work.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Then four flights of stairs, no lifts.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Working in the lab, standing and walking,
0:54:11 > 0:54:13no sitting at all if I can help it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Another walk to get some food.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21That's 950 calories I've burned this morning.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26OK, now, lunch.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38This is not a low-calorie lunch, you know.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41The lasagne is quite indulgent, it's not a low-fat lasagne.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I've got a load of veg but,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46because I'm having the lasagne, I can't waste calories
0:54:46 > 0:54:49on a soft drink full of sugar that won't fill me up,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51so I'm going to have water.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57More work. Getting a bit hungry now.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05It's late afternoon. To be honest, my resolve's weakening.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07I'm just not giving up my snack.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16I'm on the go all the time.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19I've been really active.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22So far, that's 2,400 calories burned.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Cheers, mate.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31A pub meal after work can't do any harm, can it?
0:55:31 > 0:55:32Thank you, mate.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37Erm...
0:55:41 > 0:55:42Lovely.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50That was good. I... I'm not sure I should've had the beer
0:55:50 > 0:55:54AND the fudge cake but... I think I'm about right.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55We'll see. Right.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59No more food today,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02but I'm still burning calories while I'm asleep
0:56:02 > 0:56:07and by next morning I've burned 3,300 calories in 24 hours.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17Now, the team have been working out - thank you - how much I ate.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Phew, big dinner.
0:56:19 > 0:56:211,813 calories for dinner.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Perhaps I could've guessed that. So my total is 3,400,
0:56:25 > 0:56:30so I've eaten 100 calories more than I've burned.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33I can believe that. It's a lot, though, isn't it?
0:56:33 > 0:56:34A lot more than you might expect.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36But the key thing is the balance,
0:56:36 > 0:56:39and that is the truth about calories -
0:56:39 > 0:56:43that if you eat more than you burn you will gain weight.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46But that doesn't mean you have to obsess about every one
0:56:46 > 0:56:48that goes in your mouth and every one that you burn.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52By being conscious of them and by making these little changes,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54lots of little changes to your lifestyle,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57you can tip the balance in the right direction.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00And in my case it looks like I'm going to have to work
0:57:00 > 0:57:01a little bit harder.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Callipers.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Next time, the truth about fat.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08We'll reveal the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Oh, my God! I just find that really awful.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14And why it might actually be good for us after all.