Calories in, calories out – not exactly

+ time to rename the 'Arab-Israeli conflict'? US Edition - Today's top story: Is weight loss as simple as calories in, calories out? In the end, it's your gut microbes and leftovers that make your calories count [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [Colorado voters weigh a ban on hunting mountain lions as attitudes toward wild predators shift]( - [Wild ginseng is declining, but small-scale ‘diggers’ aren’t the main threat to this native plant − and they can help save it]( Calories in, calories out. That’s what I always thought when I was counting how many calories I consumed and burned while trying to drop a few extra pounds. The balance between the two translated into how many pounds I was losing – or gaining – right? The reality is a bit more complicated, writes Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at the University of Washington. “From the moment food touches your tongue to the time it leaves your body, your digestive system and gut microbiome work to extract its nutrients,” [he explains in one of last week’s most popular articles](. “Enzymes in your mouth, stomach and small intestine break down food for absorption, while microbes in your large intestine digest the leftovers.” And many different factors put a thumb, as it were, on the balance between consuming and burning − including the health of your gut microbiome. In his piece, Damman explains the influence microbes have on your metabolism so you can better understand what calories in, calories out means for you. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( Readers' picks [Is weight loss as simple as calories in, calories out? 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Two scholars – of race and of journalism – weigh in. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week, questions on debates, feuds and vaccines. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get one daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you [facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away all our articles without any ads or paywalls thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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