Healthy eaters may have something to feel extra smug about.

Fried fatty food not only has an impact on waistlines, it is also affecting our weather systems, according to scientists.

Chemists at the universities of Reading, Bristol and Bath have discovered that when droplets of cooking fat are released into the atmosphere they form complex structures which attract moisture and form into clouds.

In large cities like London, cooking fat is known to be responsible for 10 per cent of small particles in the air, so researchers believe frying food could have a noticeable impact on cloud formation and rainy weather.

In fact, the effect is so large it could even have a cooling effect on the planet, and potentially slow down global warming.

“I think it could be having an impact on cloud formation,” said Dr Christian Pfrang, Associate Professor of Physical and Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Reading.

“It is likely that these structures have a significant effect on water uptake of droplets in the atmosphere, increase lifetimes of reactive molecules and generally slow down transport inside these droplets with yet unexplored consequences.

“We’re not saying that becoming a healthier eater could have an impact on climate, but fat does seem to encourage cloud formation.”