Research shows obese people are each responsible for more than a tonne of extra CO2 emissions a year

If you can’t stay slim for yourself, maybe you should lose weight for the planet. A new study has calculated that obese people are each responsible for more than a tonne of extra carbon dioxide emissions a year, roughly equivalent to going on a transatlantic flight.

The research, published in the journal Obesity, finds that in total the extra food consumed by the world’s 600 million obese people has a carbon footprint on a par with that of the UK. Their increased metabolism also means that every year they breathe out extra CO 2 equivalent to Sweden’s annual output.

Once the added burden for transport is included, taking into account the fuel needed for planes and cars to carry a heavier load, the University of