Why losing weight isn't just about counting calories -- and what to do about it | 93.9 & 101.5 The River

The article explains that weight loss isn’t only about counting calories, because the “same” calorie can be processed differently by the body. It notes that while the basic idea—consuming fewer calories than burned leads to weight loss—is broadly correct, diet quality and individual physiology can shift how calories are used. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a Tufts University cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute, says different foods can affect the brain, liver, fat cells, muscle function, the pancreas and other metabolism-related organs. The piece highlights that nutrition labels may be off by up to 20% due to permitted rounding and that calorie counts often reflect potential metabolization rather than true burn rate. It also references a lawsuit over David protein bar labels that was later dropped.