London, Apr 18 : Staying slim is not only beneficial for you but it''s also good for the planet, say scientists.

Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine''s department of epidemiology and population health say food production is a major contributor to global warming.

The research team suggested that a lean population will consume almost 20 per cent less food than a population in which 40 per cent of people are obese.

Transport-related emissions will also be lower if people are slim because it takes less energy to move them around.

Dr Phil Edwards, one of the leaders of the study, said he thought people had a "responsibility to the climate".

"It''s about seeing that actually as a population by being a particular shape and by being a certain weight we have an impact on the climate," The Scotsman quoted him, as saying.

"It''s something that isn''t discussed widely, but not only is staying slim good for you but it''s also good for the planet," he said.

In the research paper, the authors highlighted that; people are becoming fatter, whether in Australia, Argentina, Belgium or Canada. And Edwards said the situation would be likely to become even worse because in developing countries many people are also beginning to eat more.

He added: "''When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in a gas guzzler. The heavier our bodies become the harder and more unpleasant it is to move about in them and the more dependent we become on our cars."

The study appears in the International Journal of Epidemiology. (ANI)