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Fat people affect climate more

High rates of obesity in richer countries cause up to one billion extra tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year, compared with countries with leaner populations, according to a study that assesses the additional food and fuel requirements of the overweight. The finding is particularly worrying, scientists say, because obesity is on the rise in many rich nations.

“Population fatness has an environmental impact,” said Phil Edwards, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “We’re all being told to stay fit and keep our weight down because it’s good for our health. The important thing is that staying slim is good for your health and for the health of the planet.” The study has been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

In their model, the researchers compared a population of a billion lean people, with weight distributions equivalent to a country such as Vietnam, with a billion people from richer countries, such as the U.S., where about 40 per cent of the population is classified obese — having an average body mass index of more than 30. They found the fatter population needed 19 per cent more food energy for its total energy requirements. They also factored in greater car use by the overweight.

“The heavier our bodies become the harder it is to move about in them and the more dependent we become on our cars,” they wrote.

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