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The Environmental Foodprint of Obesity
Author(s) -
Magkos Faidon,
Tetens Inge,
Bügel Susanne Gjedsted,
Felby Claus,
Schacht Simon Rønnow,
Hill James O.,
Ravussin Eric,
Astrup Arne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22657
Subject(s) - greenhouse gas , obesity , global warming , environmental science , environmental health , climate change , natural resource economics , greenhouse effect , medicine , environmental protection , economics , ecology , biology
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 CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 eq) from oxidative metabolism due to greater metabolic demands, ~361 megatons per year of CO 2 eq from food production processes due to increased food intake, and ~290 megatons per year of CO 2 eq 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 CO 2 eq, 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.