Are You Stretching It Too Far?

[BJ]

BBC NEWS | Health | Obese blamed for the world's ills
Obese blamed for the world's ills

The world's obese population is rising

Obese people are contributing to the world food crisis and climate change, experts say.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine calculated the obese consume 18% more calories than average.

They are also responsible for using more fuel, which has an environmental impact and drives up food prices as transport and agriculture both use oil.

The result is that the poor struggle to afford food and greenhouse gas emissions rise, the Lancet reported.

It comes as the World Health Organization predicts the obese population will double by 2015 to 700m.


Transport and food policy and the importance of sustainable transport must not be overlooked
Dr Phil Edwards, report co-author

In the UK, nearly a quarter of adults are classed obese, twice as many as there were in the 1980s.

The team found that obese people require 1,680 daily calories to sustain normal energy and another 1,280 to maintain daily activities - a fifth more than normal.

The higher consumption of food has a two-fold effect, researchers said.

First of all the increasing demand for food, drives up production.

This means that agricultural processes are using more oil to meet demand, which contributes to the rising cost of fuel.

The cost of fuel is then passed on in the cost of food, making it more difficult for poorer areas to afford it.



What is more, the researchers said obese people are likely to rely on transport more and put more strain on that transport because of their mass, which again drives up prices and usage.

But the researchers said there was a solution.

Phil Edwards, who co-authored the article, said: "Urban transport policies that promote walking and cycling would reduce food prices by reducing the global demand for oil and promotion of a normal weight.

And they added: "Decreased car use would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Transport and food policy and the importance of sustainable transport must not be overlooked."

But Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said it was "stretching it a bit" to blame the obese in the way.

"Really, it is discriminatory towards obese people. They are an easy target at the moment, but I think the causes of climate change and rising food prices is much more complex."

[Buoyant Babe]

Do they produce more greenhouse gases too?

[dry suit diver]

Do they produce more greenhouse gases too?

no but vegetarians do


blame the sandal wearing hippies for global warming . ohhh thats just so good

[macstinator]

Well, we have spent the last few years coming down hard on smokers. We have banned advertising, sponsorship, partaking of the activity in public places and generally treat smokers these days as if they are AIDS ridden lepers. (No offence to any AIDS ridden lepers on the boards here).

If fatties are overtaking smokers in terms of their burden to respective Health Services and economies, why should this issue not be tackled in the same way.

This argument that it is hormonal/genetic is rubbish. You don't find obese people in impoverished societies.

Eat less and move more, thats how you lose it. Simple laws of physics.

[dry suit diver]

Well, we have spent the last few years coming down hard on smokers. We have banned advertising, sponsorship, partaking of the activity in public places and generally treat smokers these days as if they are AIDS ridden lepers. (No offence to any AIDS ridden lepers on the boards here).

If fatties are overtaking smokers in terms of their burden to respective Health Services and economies, why should this issue not be tackled in the same way.

This argument that it is hormonal/genetic is rubbish. You don't find obese people in impoverished societies.

Eat less and move more, thats how you lose it. Simple laws of physics.

coming from a jockanese thats just soooo funny.


heart attack capital of the world, inventors of deep fried anything

[NeilB]

A bit one sided research. Surely for every obese person there is a person suffering from an eating disorder. They would eat less food and cost less on transport etc.

Life ballances out again......

[Arfie]

There are a few problems with the theory, the main one being that not all fatties eat much more than others, myself included. I can and do eat more crap food but in terms of weight for moving it around and the fuel consuption, 1kg of dairy milk weighs the same as 1kg of salad.

The other reason I am as fat as I am is that I don't move about enough which doesn't put any more strain on fossil fuels.

There may well be some merit in charging for a total weight on airlines taking the passenger and luggage into account and if the total is over a certain limit then charge excess. Whilst I woudn't be happy with it if I had to pay extra, perhaps it would be a big enough irritant for me to lose some weight.

As for comparing smoking to obesity, as far as I'm aware you can't get passive fatness or suffer clogged arteries from being in a room with cake eaters

Arfie

[calski]

There may well be some merit in charging for a total weight on airlines taking the passenger and luggage into account and if the total is over a certain limit then charge excess. Whilst I woudn't be happy with it if I had to pay extra, perhaps it would be a big enough irritant for me to lose some weight.

I would not be best pleased if, when I go to check in, some snotty nosed airline rep said "Excuse me Sir, would you mind stepping onto the scales, you look heavy"

Given that I am fairly muscular, I weigh a fair bit. I'm not fat at all yet if they use weight or the antiquated BMI, then I'll be stung by an airline (or whatever else).

I guarantee that as someone into body building, I am fitter and in better shape than a couch potato or even Mr Joe Average (who will weigh less) yet by the above theory, I should be penalized for leading a lifestyle which is way more healthy.

So no, I don't agree there's any merit at all

ATB

calski

[Jay_Benson]

I would not be best pleased if, when I go to check in, some snotty nosed airline rep said "Excuse me Sir, would you mind stepping onto the scales, you look heavy"

Given that I am fairly muscular, I weigh a fair bit. I'm not fat at all yet if they use weight or the antiquated BMI, then I'll be stung by an airline (or whatever else).

I guarantee that as someone into body building, I am fitter and in better shape than a couch potato or even Mr Joe Average (who will weigh less) yet by the above theory, I should be penalized for leading a lifestyle which is way more healthy.

So no, I don't agree there's any merit at all

ATB

calski

I am willing to bet that your calorie intake is somewhat greater than 1500. Can you give an estimate of your daily intake?

[calski]

It is indeed a LOT more than 1500 a day but it varies depending on what goals I am working on at the time.