(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- With fuel costs through the roof, everyone is
looking for the answer to our energy crisis. According to two British authors,
the worldwide need for transportation fuel and food could be greatly reduced if
obese people walked and cycled more and if healthy urban transportation was
promoted.
Dr. Phil Edwards and Dr. Ian Roberts of the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom say not only do obese people consume 18
percent more food energy than the normal population, but they use more fuel
because they are more likely to drive than walk. They also say because obese
people eat more, there is a need for additional fuel to transport the extra
food, thus driving the price of food up.
Drs. Edwards and Roberts say motorized transportation is more than 95 percent
oil dependent and accounts for almost half of the world oil use. They also say
car use contributes to rising food prices by promoting obesity, which increases
the global demand for food.
Their solution calls for transport policies that promote walking and cycling to
reduce obesity in the population, which will then decrease the demand for food
and fuel.
The authors say decreased car use by people of all sizes will reduce greenhouse
gases and therefore the need for biofuels. The increased activity levels will
reduce the risk of injury, air pollution and generally improve public health.
SOURCE: The Lancet, published online May 17, 2008
