# Is excess American body fat a potential energy resource? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-excess-american-body-fat-a-potential-energy-resource/614143 "2012-02-27T13:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eightoh9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@eightoh9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eightoh9)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-excess-american-body-fat-a-potential-energy-resource/614143/1 "2012-02-27T13:22:21Z")
Cecil is skeptical about extracting the energy from body fat in a way that would reduce dependence on foreign oil? Here’s how: Get out of your friggin’ car and walk. I figure that walking instead of driving will save me somewhere between 2 and 3 gallons of gas for every pound of body fat that I burn off. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-excess-american-body-fat-a-potential-energy-resource/614143/2 "2012-02-27T14:53:35Z")
But anyone can walk, whether they have excess fat or not. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-excess-american-body-fat-a-potential-energy-resource/614143/3 "2012-02-27T15:14:25Z")
It is customary to provide a link to the column in question, [like so.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3038/is-excess-american-body-fat-a-potential-energy-resource) The problem with your theory is that excess body fat is usually a hindrance when it comes to walking instead of driving.