Obesity may be a significant contributor to climate change, according to a new study, which suggests that the food energy and transportation needs for an overweight individual create a larger carbon footprint.  While we should all closely consider how the food we eat and how we get around contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, I have to agree with critics of the research that say  addressing obesity should not be considered a climate change priority.  To be fair, the study’s authors, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, never suggested that reducing obesity levels would be a solution to climate change, nor did they wish to single out overweight individuals as environmental pariahs.  But they’ve definitely received quite a bit of heat from people who interpreted it that way.

Ultimately, we should work to cut down obesity numbers, if only to make for a healthier society, and we should all examine the environmental impact our daily choices create.  As I’ve mentioned before, eliminating meat from your diet, even for a day, can drastically reduce your carbon footprint, just as eating locally and driving less will cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.  Smaller waistlines and healthier hearts will likely result from eating more greens and walking more, so in the end, your body and the planet will thank you.

Photo: johnlegear’s flickr photostream (creative commons)