Obesity’s heavy environmental toll
May 6, 2008
Canada’s obese hardly need to be reminded that their extra weight is a potentially fatal burden. But if there’s one warning they probably haven’t heard, it’s this: obesity is also apparently an environmental hazard.
From the increased calorie consumption of a larger person to the amount of fuel required to drive them around, obese people require more energy than their lighter counterparts. And where more energy is required, more ends up being used.
If the connection between the environment and weight gain seems tenuous, it’s important to remember that the parallels between fitness and more efficient energy use are actually familiar refrains. Walking, rather than driving, shows up consistently on lists of small lifestyle changes that can reduce fuel use, just as it does on lists about improving your health. And like the cars that we’re advised to avoid, improving our own health is just another way of literally using energy more efficiently. It’s the biological equivalent of trading in an SUV for a compact hybrid, exchanging gas-guzzling guts for a well-maintained cardiovascular system.
