Oh my...gotta be link bait right?

So hat tip to hippyshopper for pointing me to a BBC post about how obese people are responsible for climate change and the global food crisis.

First of all, I think hippyshopper does a nice job of quickly poking a few holes in the conclusions of this study issued by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. (Although I must say that for every skinny person turning up the heat there might be a non-skinny person turning up the AC, so I don't think that part of the argument holds up well.)

Second of all: What the hell is the The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine anyway? What a name, huh? Well, it's a branch of the University of London, calling itself a leading post-graduate institute. The Wikipedia entry for it basically seem like a re-tread of the messaging on their web site, so not much more to earn there.

Anyway, whatever their credibility level, I have to agree with the doctor quoted in the article as saying "I think the causes of climate change and rising food prices is much more complex."

Indeed.

And notice no one is talking about food production's effect on climate change...specifically meat production.I guess they don't want to perhaps muse on whether it's meat-eaters, not obese people who are the real problem?

Anyway, I honestly can't see the value of hanging this on obese people. Except if it's in letting governments and corporations off the hook, right? 'Cause they have nothing to do with climate change or the food crisis, nothing at all.

Comments

[Mara]

Thanks Elisa for taking a stand on this topic. I am so upset over this. How can they justify this? Obesity is not to blame for anything. It is something that people live with and have to deal with on there own. I like your take on the government...right letting them off the hook imagine....ha.....

[Sara]

I was incensed too (once I realized it wasn't a spoof, because it is obviously a far-fetched stretch of a conclusion).

As an ag/scientist/locavore/mom, however, I have to chime in to say that some of the stuff that is being perputuated as 'fact' about food production is just as tenuous and the statistics as egregiously misinterpreted.

There are no simple answers, and there is no one group or lifestyle we can point to and say "you are the cause of global warming". Face it, by our existance, we ALL contribute.