The latest articles on DEV Community by Matheus Cavalcanti (@matheus_cavalcanti_472d93). https://dev.to/matheus_cavalcanti_472d93 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4079513%2Fc459e5f1-1979-485d-a5c5-03525c7ba8c2.jpg https://dev.to/matheus_cavalcanti_472d93 en Matheus Cavalcanti Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:19:06 +0000 https://dev.to/matheus_cavalcanti_472d93/building-a-responsible-health-calculator-portal-for-everyday-use-3d2b https://dev.to/matheus_cavalcanti_472d93/building-a-responsible-health-calculator-portal-for-everyday-use-3d2b <p>Health calculations are useful only when people understand what the numbers mean and what they cannot tell them. That principle guided the development of Quantas Calorias, a free web portal that brings nutrition and health-screening calculators together in a simple interface.</p> <p>The portal includes calorie and daily-goal calculations, BMI, basal metabolic rate, macronutrient distribution, HOMA-IR, cardiovascular-risk estimation, smoking-related calculations, and the IVCF-20 tool for older-adult vulnerability screening. Each result needs context: formulas are estimates, screening is not diagnosis, and an individual result should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and professional judgment.</p> <p>From a product perspective, the main challenge was not only implementing formulas. It was designing explanations that are understandable without hiding uncertainty. Inputs need clear units, results need plain-language interpretation, and every tool should make its limitations visible rather than placing them in a distant footer.</p> <p>A second lesson was to separate educational use from clinical decision-making. A calculator can help someone prepare questions for an appointment, understand a health concept, or organize personal goals. It should not be used to start or stop medication, diagnose a disease, or replace a qualified assessment.</p> <p>Quantas Calorias is available at <a href="https://quantascalorias.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://quantascalorias.net/</a>. We are looking for feedback on accessibility, calculator explanations, localization, and responsible health communication. What is the most important detail a health calculator should explain before showing a result?</p> nutrition a11y webdev showdev