Is being healthier better for our environment?
There is no doubt that our environment and atmosphere are in desperate need of support from humans, but is it possible that being healthy can actually make a difference?
Although health is subjective and what being healthy means is different to each person, universally there are certain aspects of health that we can all agree on, and perhaps can even change the world?
For example in stead of driving a car to work/ school, choosing to walk or cycle (or even go by bus) would significantly reduce the amount of green house gasses released into the atmosphere daily, let alone annually. This small change that would change your health can actually also decrease your carbon foot print.
Furthermore if the meal portion sizes you eat are slightly decreased, less food is consumed annually, meaning that less food must be bought- thus the entire process from of plastic made to cover the food, or if a vegetable, to water it and look after it- or if a meat product the amount of energy that goes into the growing of the animal, is significantly decreased. Once the consumers reduce the amount consumed, less will need to be provided, thus less damage to our environment.
Continually most healthy food is not actually packaged in plastic, for example oranges- as their ‘cover’ is in fact biodegradable, whilst for most unhealthy foods, for example a chocolate bar, it is sold in a plastic cover, which then pollutes our environment. Hence by cutting down on the amount of junk food we eat we would in fact be reducing the amount of plastic pollution and need to make plastic thus we prevent pollution and green house gasses emitted whilst plastic is being made.
Additionally if we weigh less when we are being transported, less fuel is necessary for the same amount of time, thus less is used up, meaning not only are we going to have a longer time before our finite resources run out (coal, oil and natural gasses), we will also be reducing our impact on the world.- Although when getting fit you usually replace fat with muscle, which is actually denser than fat to the area it occupies.
Furthermore if we spent more time in the out doors getting fit, instead of at home watching T.V or being on our phones, less energy will be used up, meaning less finite resources are being used (about 80% of our electricity comes from finite resources) thus we are actually helping the environment!
Overall you could, of course, counter act this argument- but being healthy can make a difference not only for yourself and your body, but also for the world around you- but remember everything is about balance!
Davina Veselichka Bancrofts School
