BURNING HUMAN FAT FOR HIGHER MPG

Don't get freaked out. We're not talking Zombieland or that creepy Twilight Zone episode. And we don't expect to see Soylent Green at a gas pump near you soon. No, we talking about losing that spare tire you're carrying around your waist. We've mentioned before how automakers are using newer, lighter materials to reduce the weight of vehicles to improve fuel economy. But have you ever considered how our weight as a society has affected fuel economy? A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows how the increase of obesity rates in America has put a real dent in fuel economy. AutoGuide.com reports: "The rise in obesity has forced these people, out of necessity, to buy larger vehicles, which increases gasoline consumption in the U.S. and fuel consumption increases with more weight in cars. AutoGuide goes on to say that in 2006, a study done by Entrepreneur.com analyzed the amount of additional fuel consumed due to heavier drivers: “They found that almost 1 billion gallons of gasoline per year can be attributed to passenger weight gain in non-commercial vehicles between 1960 and 2002." - Ailis Aaron Wolf, 40mpg.org