Personal carbon trading: a potential "stealth intervention" for obesity reduction?

Abstract

The obesity epidemic and global warming are linked through energy use. A personal carbon trading scheme aimed at reducing fossil fuel usage could act as a "stealth intervention" for reducing obesity by increasing personal energy use. Such a scheme would complement a corporate "cap and trade" system for carbon emissions, which should increase the relative price of processed, energy-dense foods. The scheme would work by reducing global carbon emissions to a sustainable level (contraction), while offering potential for trade of emission rights between frugal and profligate users of non-renewable energy (convergence). A key goal would be changed attitudes to conspicuous (and obesogenic) consumption. Adoption of the scheme would make healthy choices the easy choice.