Calories Burned Estimator (MET Tables) mechanism

Model scope

The algorithm is standard for gross estimated energy expenditure, but the specification needs an explicit choice between gross kcal and active kcal, explicit kg/hour input units, and a defined Compendium table edition and activity-row matching policy. The existing population-average and not-medical-advice label is appropriate.

• calories = MET × weight_kg × duration_hr is the standard gross-energy estimate when MET is expressed as kcal/kg/hour.
• The formula is ambiguous about gross calories versus active calories. Gross energy uses MET × kg × hours; active calories above resting expenditure generally use (MET - 1) × kg × hours.
• The output should be labeled kilocalories (kcal), conventionally called food Calories (Cal), rather than simply calories.

Units and conventions

• Body weight must be supplied in kilograms.
• Duration must be converted to decimal hours before applying the formula; for example, 45 minutes = 45/60 = 0.75 hours.
• MET is dimensionless but is interpreted using the standard approximation 1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/hour.
• The reported value is a population-average estimate and does not account for individual efficiency, body composition, fitness, age, environment, or activity execution.

Inspectable vector

One of 4 source-bound review vectors:

{
  "inputs": {
    "activity": "Walking at 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h), level",
    "duration": 1.5,
    "duration_unit": "hours",
    "weight_kg": 80
  },
  "expected_outputs": {
    "estimated_energy_kcal_gross": 396
  },
  "reference_data": {
    "activity": "Walking at 3.0 mph, level",
    "MET": 3.3,
    "source_convention": "Ainsworth et al., Compendium of Physical Activities, 2011 update; widely tabulated standard value"
  },
  "working": "MET × weight × duration = 3.3 × 80 kg × 1.5 h = 264 × 1.5 = 396.0 kcal gross."
}

Failure boundary

BREAK_CLAIMED · SELF_FLAGGED

The estimator has no division-by-zero formula trap, but an extreme valid-number input can overflow ordinary floating-point arithmetic to Infinity, and an unlabeled body-weight unit can change the estimate from 662.2 kcal to 300.3686224 kcal.

Other records

Sources and evidence

These pointers bind the page to evidence. They do not grant authority or collapse verification into deployment.

• VERIFIED_LEDGER.json
• evidence-tranche7/tranche7-results.json
• BOUNDARY_HAZARD_CATALOG.json