Recently, I found a study that I thought was really interesting.

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In a society which is literally getting fatter and fatter on a daily basis, it becomes increasingly difficult to find ways to keep people from eating unhealthy junk food.

But in that same society of obesity, there is a growing need to be “green” & “environmentally friendly”. As such, natural health practitioners preaching weight loss through a more nutritious diet may have finally found their biggest ally.

According to David Pimentel and his colleagues at Cornell University in New York, a healthier diet and a return to traditional farming could possibly help reduce the energy consumption of the US food industry by as much as 50%.

To put this all into perspective, 19% of total energy consumption here in the United States, is created by the production and supply of food.

Fossil Fuels & Our Food System

In an article entitled ‘Reducing Energy Inputs in the US Food System‘ recently published in the Human Ecology journal, Pimentel set out a variety of strategies that could reduce the food industries use of fossil energy fuel use.

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Straight off the board, and not surprisingly, is the idea that Americans should eat less. A groundbreaking idea no doubt, considering that the average American consumes upwards of 3,500 calories a day, but possibly an idea that hasn’t been put into practice just yet.

The logic behind their thought process is simple. A diet which is high in animal products, junk food and processed foods, may at the surface not seem like it’s doing a great deal of harm to the atmosphere.

However, once you realize that the more that goes in to producing a piece of food, the more energy that is used. If you eat less of it, then less of it will be made, thus reducing how much overall energy is used.

The authors point to the food production industry, in particular the possibility of a more traditional and organic method of farming, over the energy intensive methods currently in use.

I personally believe that if the consumers were to stop buying so much junk food, then this will result in the most dramatic reduction of energy consumption. Especially when you consider everything involved in the process, from materials used to the transportation of the product.

What The Consumer Can Do

So basically, this study tells me that the consumer is now in a stronger position, over the manufacturer, to contribute to a reduction in the industries energy use.

Try buying more organic foods, shopping at your local farmers market and/or start your own garden, while simultaneously reducing the amount of junk food you consume. I know from firsthand experience that eating more organic fruits and vegetables will have a significant impact on your overall health.

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