Eat Less and Lose Weight to Slow Global Warming

Man stuffing mouth with deluxe hamburger.

“This is about over-consumption by the wealthy countries. And the world demand for meat is increasing to match that of Britain and America.” — Phil Edwards

British researchers stirred up a portly pot of controversy with their findings that point to overweight people contributing to global warming more than their slim counterparts.

Writing in the International Journal of Epidemiology, Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine point to food production being a major contributor to global warming.

They also say that changing diets and less physical activity have resulted in the average U.K. citizen consuming 19 percent more food than 40 years ago.

That has created a population in which 40 percent are obese, compared to only 3.5 percent which would be expected in a “normal” population.

Overweight people can be responsible for the emission of a ton more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than thin ones, mainly due to their eating more food and the additional fuel needed to carry them in cars and other vehicles, the study says.

“When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in a gas guzzler,” say the authors.

“We need to be doing a lot more to reverse the global trend towards fatness, and recognize it as a key factor in the battle to reduce emissions and slow climate change,” writes Edwards.

But the staff doctor at Britain’s The Sun tabloid said a few obese people have a hormone problem. Carol Cooper also warned that making all those overweight feel guilty about global warming is probably not the best way to encourage weight loss.

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