Can Losing Weight Help the Environment?

by Jessica at MSN Health

Living in an environmentally conscious city like Seattle, I’ve become accustomed to talking and learning about climate change. It seems as if everyone is looking for ways to reduce his or her carbon footprint and help the environment. Drive less. Reduce water waste. Buy local. Recycle. But how does losing weight help reduce greenhouse gases?
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have found that watching your weight isn’t just about improving your health. It can have an impact on climate change.

In their study, published in the April edition of the International Journal of Epidemiology, they found that maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) can lower greenhouse emissions.

The researchers calculated that a lean population of a billion people would emit 1,000 million fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions from food production and car travel per year. A population in which 40 percent of the people are obese , like the U.S., requires 19 percent more food energy for its total energy expenditure. Also, less energy is required to transport slim people.

"When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in a gas guzzler," say the authors. "The heavier our bodies become, the harder and more unpleasant it is to move about in them and the more dependent we become on our cars. Staying slim is good for health and for the environment. 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," they conclude.

In nearly every country in the world, the average BMI is rising.

• Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults—at least 300 million of them obese.
• Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
• The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.

These findings, coupled with the health benefits of losing weight and the fast-approaching swimsuit season, have given me extra incentive to lose a few pounds. I think I’ll be biking to the grocery store this weekend. Not only will I be reducing my carbon footprint and buying local, I’ll be losing weight.