Courtesy of stock-xchng (by spekulator)
Obesity could be contributing to global warming. An overweight person could be responsible for approximately up to 1 tonne of CO2 emission more than a slim person in a year. CO2 is a greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to global warming. Greenhouse gases have been is attributed to climate change.
Here is a short snip from the study. Those who find this to be too technical, should just skip ahead to the next paragraph. Being overweight is assessed as someone having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 kg/m2. A normal person is considered to have a BMI of approximately 24.5 kg/m2. The study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, suggested that the trend of the mean distribution of BMI is shifting upwards. See the chart showing this increase here.
Compared with a normal population distribution of BMI, a population with 40% obese population requires 19% more food energy for its total energy expenditure. Greenhouse gas emissions from food production and car travel due to increases in adiposity in a population of 1 billion are estimated to be between 0.4 Giga tonnes (GT) and 1.0 GT of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. In the year 2000, the total global emission of greenhouse gases was approximately 42 Giga tonnes (GT) of carbon dioxide equivalents, for an estimated world population of 6 billion.
The researchers concluded that the maintenance of a healthy BMI has important environmental benefits in terms of lower greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that only 3.5 % of the adult UK population was obese a few decades ago as compared to 40% predicted for 2010.
The World Health Organization has estimated that there are about 1 billion overweight people in the world. Based on the study where an overweight person produces an additional 1 tonne of CO2 per year, the overweight people of the world produce an additional 1 billion tonnes of CO2 that the planet could do without.
In nearly every country in the world, average body mass index (BMI) is rising. Between 1994 and 2004 the average male BMI in England increased from 26 to 27.3, with the average female BMI rising from 25.8 to 26.9 (about 3 kg – heavier). Humankind – be it Australian, Argentinian, Belgian or Canadian – is getting steadily fatter.
Dr Phil Edwards who conducted the study said, “Food production accounts for about one fifth of greenhouse gas production. We need to do a lot more to reverse the global trend toward fatness. It is a key factor in the battle to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change”.
Dr Phil further said , “Moving about in a heavy body is like driving about in a gas guzzler”.
Overweight people also tend to drive more and work less which does not help the environment much either. So scientists are now saying that being overweight is hazardous not only to health but also to the planet.
Well if you are a contributor of this incremental greenhouse gas, start doing something about it now. It starts with a decision, followed by a commitment to follow through with the decision!
For those interested, this table nicely summarizes the difference in energy consumption between “normal” and overweight people.
Tags: climate change, CO2emission, green house gases, global warming, obesity and global warming
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Love this blog I’ll be back when I have more time.
Well, now I know how the United States needs to meet the Kyoto Protocol standards. Put everyone on a diet!
Hi, cool post. I have been thinking about this topic,so thanks for sharing. I will definitely be subscribing to your posts. Keep up the good work
I can’t believe this…… so it is our responsibility to the environment and the future generation to stay healty and have a lean body……absolutely amazing. Another plus point for fat loss…….