The energy cost of overweight in the United States.

Abstract

We have calculated the total fossil energy equivalent of the food calories saved by reducing the present degree of overweight (2.3 billion pounds for the adult United States population) to optimum body weight and the annual fossil energy reduction once all Americans reached their optimum weight. The energy saved by dieting to reach optimal weight is equivalent to 1.3 billion gallons of gasoline and the annual energy savings would more than supply the annual residential electrical demands of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.