Dieters may get a break on calories

LONDON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Dieters counting calories may be able to lighten up and allow themselves that slice of cake or a cheeseburger, British scientists say.

A study by nutrition experts says the current recommended daily calorie intake -- 2,000 for women and 2.500 for men -- could be upped by 16 percent, The Times of London reported Saturday.

That means some adults could consume an extra 400 calories a day without weight gain, the study by Britain's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition said. The report utilizes an improved measure of the amount of calories burned off in physical activity, the committee said.

About 60 percent of adults in Britain are overweight as a result of overeating and lack of exercise, the Times reported, and the cost to the National Health Service is estimated at 4.2 billion pounds ($7 billion) a year.

Some are cautious about the new study. A spokesman for Britain's National Obesity Forum said it was a "dangerous assumption" that people could safely eat an additional 400calories daily. "This is not a green light to eat yourself silly," he said.