Want to spend less at the pump? Lose some weight.

[JLu]

A new study says that we are burning more gasoline since we've gained weight on average since 1960.  Pretty interesting I thought.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/25/americans_girth_adds_to_extra_gasoline_consumption_study_says/

[whiteboyskim]

Are you calling me fat?

[coopasonic]

The amount of extra fuel consumption blamed on weight gain since 1960 -- 938 million gallons -- would fill almost 2 million cars with gas for an entire year. However, that is only 0.7 percent of the total amount of fuel consumed by U.S. passenger vehicles each year, Jacobson said.

Wow, you could save almost a whole percent! The increase in weight of the passengers is nothing compared to the increase in weight fo the cars. All that fancy safety and convenience equipment is heavy.

[Laner]

The amount of extra fuel consumption blamed on weight gain since 1960 -- 938 million gallons -- would fill almost 2 million cars with gas for an entire year. However, that is only 0.7 percent of the total amount of fuel consumed by U.S. passenger vehicles each year, Jacobson said.

Wow, you could save almost a whole percent! The increase in weight of the passengers is nothing compared to the increase in weight fo the cars. All that fancy safety and convenience equipment is heavy.

I dunno... most older cars were behemoths compared to your average coupe/sedan today (SUVs being an exception, of course)

[coopasonic]

The amount of extra fuel consumption blamed on weight gain since 1960 -- 938 million gallons -- would fill almost 2 million cars with gas for an entire year. However, that is only 0.7 percent of the total amount of fuel consumed by U.S. passenger vehicles each year, Jacobson said.

Wow, you could save almost a whole percent! The increase in weight of the passengers is nothing compared to the increase in weight fo the cars. All that fancy safety and convenience equipment is heavy.

I dunno... most older cars were behemoths compared to your average coupe/sedan today (SUVs being an exception, of course)

I'll need to dig for the articles, but while it seems that way it isn't necessarily true. Todays cars are much more densely packed with "stuff".

[coopasonic]

I dug and found some data to prove myself wrong... average car weight now is approximately the same as it was in 1975, it bottomed out in the early 80s and has been climbing steadily since. I couldn't find data to show what was happening before 1975.

[JLu]

I dug and found some data to prove myself wrong... average car weight now is approximately the same as it was in 1975, it bottomed out in the early 80s and has been climbing steadily since. I couldn't find data to show what was happening before 1975.

I believe in the study they didn't take SUVs into the equation; just cars and light trucks.  I'm too lazy to re-read the article at the moment, so I'll accept that memory as reality until I reread or someone else tells me I'm wrong   

[CeeKay]

Are you calling me fat?

Yes. 

[ElijahPrice]

I dug and found some data to prove myself wrong... average car weight now is approximately the same as it was in 1975, it bottomed out in the early 80s and has been climbing steadily since. I couldn't find data to show what was happening before 1975.

I believe in the study they didn't take SUVs into the equation; just cars and light trucks.  I'm too lazy to re-read the article at the moment, so I'll accept that memory as reality until I reread or someone else tells me I'm wrong   

\
haha

also, i love studies like this that a) dont take into account major "reasons why" and b) report miniscule findings.

=poop

[JLu]

I dug and found some data to prove myself wrong... average car weight now is approximately the same as it was in 1975, it bottomed out in the early 80s and has been climbing steadily since. I couldn't find data to show what was happening before 1975.

I believe in the study they didn't take SUVs into the equation; just cars and light trucks.  I'm too lazy to re-read the article at the moment, so I'll accept that memory as reality until I reread or someone else tells me I'm wrong   

\
haha

also, i love studies like this that a) dont take into account major "reasons why" and b) report miniscule findings.

=poop

Meaning they compared the weight and driving habits of only small vehicles and small trucks and the gasoline consumption today vs. then.  Of course more gas is being used because of SUVs... But more is also being used because we weigh more, and as such, similarly weighed vehicles are carrying more weight, reducing fuel economy...