| America's obesity epidemic and global warming | | | | be saved and Americans would lose more than 3 |
| might not seem to have too much in common. | | | | billions pounds altogether. A simple intervention like |
| But public health experts suggest that people can | | | | walking to school is a climate change intervention, |
| attack them both by cutting calories and carbon | | | | an obesity intervention and a diabetes |
| dioxide at the same time. | | | | intervention, making it an all in one change for the |
| The reality is that obese people not only do more | | | | better. |
| damage to themselves than thinner people, but | | | | Reducing car travel in favor of walking would not |
| they also do more damage to the physical | | | | only cut obesity and greenhouse gases, they said, |
| environment and to the climate - both through | | | | it would also mean less smog, fewer deaths from |
| the nature of their diets and through their more | | | | car crashes, less osteoporosis, fewer instances of |
| sedentary lifestyles. With a growing reluctance to | | | | diabetes and even less depression since exercise |
| walk or cycle, the more obese people will become. | | | | helps beat the blues. |
| What people constantly forget in all this is that the | | | | It's not just walking more and driving less that's |
| food supply chain, in its entirety, contributes at | | | | needed; a diet containing less red meat can also |
| least 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions, and | | | | help curb greenhouse gas emissions as well as |
| probably more, depending on how you define it. | | | | health risks. It takes much more land and energy |
| Relatively speaking, obese people consume up to | | | | to produce meat than vegetables and grains. Last |
| 40% more in terms of calories, | | | | year the United Nations Food and Agriculture |
| One suggested way is to walk a half hour a day | | | | Organization reported that the meat sector of |
| instead of driving. It is accepted to us that if we | | | | the global economy is responsible for 18 percent |
| do walk anywhere, even just that half hour a | | | | of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. |
| day, calories will be burned and thus a start to | | | | Climate change is a deadly and worsening public |
| being healthier and cutting down on emissions. | | | | health issue. In the year 2000, and estimated |
| That is one way Americans can simultaneously | | | | 160,000 people have died from malaria, |
| save the planet and their health. Suggested by | | | | malnutrition, drowning from floods and diarrhea. |
| many doctors and climate scientists, one scientist | | | | The problems are what climate scientists contend |
| calculated that if Americans between 10 and 74 | | | | to be worsened by global warming. The American |
| walked just a half hour a day instead of driving, | | | | Public Health Association, which will soon be |
| they would cut the annual U.S. emissions of | | | | highlighting the health problems with global |
| carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, by 64 | | | | warming in April of next year, is seeking to |
| million tons. Although the effects of this would be | | | | connect obesity with climate change solutions, |
| great, it is very much likely to happen. | | | | therefore presenting possibly one of the greatest |
| An estimated 6.5 billion gallons of gasoline would | | | | public health opportunities within the past century. |