The Environmental Foodprint of Obesity

Abstract

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are linked to global warming and adverse climate changes. Meeting the needs of the increasing number of people on the planet presents a challenge for reducing total GHG burden. A further challenge may be the size of the average person on the planet and the increasing number of people with excess body weight. We used data on GHG emissions from various sources and estimated that obesity is associated with ~20% greater GHG emissions compared with the normal‐weight state. On a global scale, obesity contributes to an extra GHG emissions of ~49 megatons per year of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) from oxidative metabolism due to greater metabolic demands, ~361 megatons per year of CO2eq from food production processes due to increased food intake, and ~290 megatons per year of CO2eq from automobile and air transportation due to greater body weight. Therefore, the total impact of obesity may be extra emissions of ~700 megatons per year of CO2eq, which is about 1.6% of worldwide GHG emissions. Inasmuch as obesity is an important contributor to global GHG burden, strategies to reduce its prevalence should prioritize efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Accordingly, reducing obesity may have considerable benefits for both public health and the environment.

Climate Change and Obesity

“…Obesity may be associated with 20% greater emissions from greenhouse gases compared with the normal weight state. This is the result from oxidative metabolism due to greater metabolic demands, from food production processes due to increased food intake, and from automobile and air transportation due to greater body weight 25 .…”

Climate Change, Obesity, and COVID-19—Global Crises with Catastrophic Consequences. Is This the Future?

“…Furthermore, as an individual's body weight increases, a higher metabolism and greater energy cost for moving is required [32]. This results in enhanced daily energy expenditure and gives rise to higher food consumption, which further increases food production and, consequently, GHG emissions [10,[33][34][35]. In addition, obesity also increases GHG emissions related to transportation.…”

“…Greater metabolic demands, increased food intake, and greater transportation needs are all factors associated with obesity. They are linked to an approximate 20% increase in GHG emissions when compared with normal weight status [10].…”

The Obesity and Climate Change Nexus

“…In this issue of Obesity, Magkos et al present an analysis of the estimated extra greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by obesity. Overall, they estimate that the current global burden of obesity adds ~700 megatons of extra carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year or about 1.6% of total global emissions.…”

“…As Magkos et al clearly point out, there is real risk for exacerbating the already strong weight bias against people with obesity by suggesting that they are now also partly responsible for climate change as well as increased health care costs. This social bias of being partly to blame for climate change would definitely not be applied to people who are more physically active (they also produce more CO 2 and require a higher food intake), but society’s existing, largely unconscious, weight bias makes people with obesity an easy target.…”