George Monbiot Says "Don't Blame the Fatties"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 04.22.09
Matt recently wrote Eat Like It's 1975 to Save the Planet: New Report Links Obesity, Energy Consumption & Climate Change, which said
We need to be doing a lot more to reverse the global trend towards fatness, and recognize it as a key factor in the battle to reduce emissions and slow climate change.
But George Monbiot says that it isn't fair to blame "the fatties." He writes:
In fact the paper wasn't about individual fat people, but populations. Most people in the rich world carry more weight than they need. Many of those who aren't overweight still consume more calories than they need, but burn them off in the gym. Almost everyone in countries like the UK consumes too much of everything, including food.So, while we should accept and understand these findings, let's not use them as another stick with which to beat fat people. They have a tough enough time already.
He suggests we should all do our bit:
A more realistic approach is to persuade people to switch more of their consumption from animal to plant-based food: that way you can eat just as much, with a smaller impact on both the environment and food security.
More at George Monbiot's Blog
More on Obesity:
You Are Where You Eat: Obesity Maps of North America
Kids With Grass Underfoot, Who Snack in Smaller Groups, Less Likely to Be Obese
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Cool the Earth Puts Climate Change in the Classroom
- COP15: What's at Stake in Under 5 Minutes
- Can Our Actions Save Humankind? 5 Crucial Environmental Tipping Points That We Can Directly Impact
- The World's Most Cited Climate Change Denier: The World's Leading Climate Scientist?
- Meet Ann Snook, The Nature Conservancy's Maya Forest Program Manager
- The British Throw Away $20 Billion Worth of Food a Year: That's a Lot of Crumpets
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