# Food calories and shit

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-calories-and-shit/772598>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-calories-and-shit/772598 "2016-11-20T21:55:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-calories-and-shit/772598/1 "2016-11-20T21:55:40Z")

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When manufacturers note the calorie content of food is there any way they can also calculate how much of those consumed food will be undigestible in an average persons stomach and pass through as shit. Would it not be more appropriate to also mention that value so that dieters can make decisions on what consumed calories are actually utilised by their bodies.

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**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-calories-and-shit/772598/2 "2016-11-20T22:01:26Z")

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The label is already attempting to estimate that. [It’s fraught with difficulties](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-hidden-truths-about-calories/) in making the estimation though.