14.11.06 Lose weight and save money
The more you weigh the more fuel you will use when driving. The obesity trend in the USA means that Americans are using 938 million gallons of fuel more than they did in 1960, purely because they are fatter.
Would you lose weight to save money on your fuel bill?
Since 1960, the average weight of an American has increased by 24 pounds (equal to 10.9 kilogrammes). That's a big increase, not least because there are 300 million Americans. All that extra weight needs to be lugged around and even though UK fuel is cheap (about $3), it costs a lot of money. In fact, it comes to about $2.8 billion a year or $9.33 (about £5) per person per year.
In the UK, we have much more expensive fuel but we have more fuel efficient cars and we drive less. Petrol Prices is calculating how much extra the British population spends on fuel and will publish the results on this website. Watch this space.
The fuel research above was done by the University of Illinois.
Your Comments
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Although it is undoubtedly true that extra weight in your car has an effect on fuel consumption, I am a bit sceptical about the conclusions of this study. It must be based on some (unrevealed) assumptions about the average number of people per vehicle-mile, the empty weight of the vehicles and the average weight of the non-human contents of those vehicles. Other trends may be at work here.
It's also time to raise a bit of scepticism about the dodgy science used to justify forecasts of global disaster as a result of carbon dioxide emissions. There has been NO increase in average global temperature over the last 8 years, despite the increase in carbon dioxide levels and the fact that solar output is the highest it has been for around 1000 years. All temperature rise estimates over the last 30 years from so-called climatic models have had to be drastically scaled down to match observed reality, but the models themselves are open to serious questions about their validity.
Finally, if the UK stopped emitting carbon dioxide altogether now the difference in average global temperature over the next 50 years would not be measurable - and yet we are being asked to make huge sacrifices as a result of the scare stories. Politicians always want more of our money, and this is the best smokescreen yet. We need to get real and throw them out.
This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.
Prescott and two Jags spring to mind! That's expensive for the rest of us.
In the USA, Petrol is so cheap that it is laughable. My daughter in law filled up her four wheel vehicle with its 4 litre engine, for less than it costs me to only half fill my Diesel Volvo S80! They do not have any insentive to lose weight or think of the environment, and the speed limit observation that I witnessed over last Christmas would beg the question of, where are the Highway Patrol?
I like one of your picture. Can I use one of them
This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.
This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.
This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.