How much gasoline are you wasting because you are overweight?

Since oil prices are reaching new record heights almost every day, everyone is talking about saving gas and going green. People are buying Hybrids and ignore the big gas guzzlers, too. Some even switch to public transportation whenever they can. But have you ever looked at your own weight as a possible cause why you are paying so much at the pump? Believe it or not, but every additional pound you carry while driving your car will cost additional gasoline. And those “additional pounds” are not just junk you drive around in your trunk all the time, it’s also the extra weight you carry as a person.

Researchers did find out that every overweight driver burns about 18 additional gallons of gas a year on average. This easily adds up to almost one billion gallons PER year. Now keep in mind this is an average value. Studies show that over 60% of Americans are overweight and 30% are are actually considered obese. Now there is a lot of variation among overweight and obese people out there. Think about it this way. Let’s assume that 30 lbs of extra body fat cost you 18 additional gallons of gasoline per year – that’s an easy $55 – $60 in hard cash. Well, 30 lbs is easy to put, but many overweight people are carrying 40-60 lbs of extra weight (not to mention the extra clothing you need to cover all that fat). That would double your spendings to somewhere around $110 – $120 per year. You might say this is not a lot of money, but look at the people in other cars. It all adds up. And we’re not paying so much for gasoline because of a single person, but for the demand in gasoline from everyone.

If everyone who is considered overweight or obese would lose 50% of the extra weight – can you imagine the savings?! It would also reduce the overall demand for gasoline and less demand means lower gasoline prices or at least prices going up at a slower pace for sure. Well worth to consider losing some weight now, isn’t it?

Please note: This posting is based on this article in Science Daily. It’s also not putting other savings into consideration that would result from significant weight loss. Some statements are based on assumptions, but the overall idea is to show what impact a higher body weight has on your usage of gasoline.