Talk:Empty calorie

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The previous wording was "Empty calorie describes a calorie with little or no marked nutritional value, typically from processed carbohydrates and/or fats." As the article goes on to point out, this is a contradiction since its very caloric value gives these "empty calories" the same nutritional value as any other calories,--rather the phrase refers to the lack of accompanying micronutrients, fiber, complex carbohydrates, etc. typical of processed and refined foods. NTK 19:19, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

This article says that white bread and white rice are high in "empty calories", but in the U.S. at least, both of these are almost always fortified with vitamins and minerals. Therefore, they can't be empty calories.

Wine and beer also contain nutrients. Granted, not a huge amount, but both of them, in moderation, can be a healthy part of a person's diet. 65.41.187.75 02:14, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

The phrase 'empty calories' seems particularly uninformative and not based on sound science. Is the claim that the health risk is that 'empty calories' taste so good and are so convenient that it encourages overeating and resultant obesity? That seems plausible. Or is the claim that 'empty calorie' diets will result in poor health due to lack of vitamins, minerals, etc? Is there any evidence of of the latter argument? And couldn't a simple daily vitamin remove any risk of that? Scotchex 18:44, 23 October 2006 (UTC)