obesity

A hidden cost of climate change

August 25, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Climate change is dramatically impacting food production by altering rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and triggering more frequent extreme weather events. These changes make crops more vulnerable to droughts, floods, heatwaves, pests, and diseases, leading to lower yields and greater uncertainty for farmers worldwide.

But climate change isn’t just reshaping our planet. It’s also changing what’s on our plates. According to a new study by researchers from Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, rising carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures may be making food less nutritious.

The research team focused on popular leafy vegetables, including kale, rocket, and spinach. The researchers simulated future UK climate conditions in growth chambers to study how the crops responded to hotter, CO2-rich environments.

The research team found that elevated CO2 levels help crops grow faster and bigger, but not healthier. Over time, the crops showed a reduction in key minerals like calcium and certain antioxidant compounds. These changes were exacerbated by increases in temperature. In fact, the combination had complex effects. The crops did not grow as big or fast, and the decline in nutritional quality intensified.

This nutritional imbalance poses serious human health implications. Rising CO2 levels can increase sugar in crops while reducing essential nutrients, leading to calorie-rich but nutrient-poor diets. This shift may raise the risk of obesity, diabetes, and nutrient deficiencies, especially in vulnerable populations.

The challenge ahead isn’t just to grow enough food to feed a growing population, but to preserve the quality of that food in a changing climate.

*********

Web Links

Bigger crops, fewer nutrients: The hidden cost of climate change

Photo, posted May 25, 2010, courtesy of Jason Bachman via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

We’re Still Eating The Wrong Things

August 23, 2019 By EarthWise 1 Comment

A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has found that despite efforts to increase public awareness of health issues related to diet, the amount of processed meat consumed by Americans has remained unchanged in the past 18 years. Furthermore, our intake of fish and shellfish has not increased. One quarter of US adults are still eating more unprocessed read meat than the recommended level, and less than 15% meet the current guidelines for fish and shellfish consumption.

About the only positive note is that Americans are eating less beef and more chicken than they did 18 years ago and, in fact, for the first time, the consumption of poultry exceeds that of unprocessed red meat.

Accumulating evidence has linked excessive consumption of processed meat to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. The study’s authors speculate that public awareness of these linkages is not widespread enough to affect change and, in any case, factors other than health – social, cultural, and economic – have greater influence over Americans’ food choices. The top five consumed processed meats are luncheon meat, sausage, hot dogs, ham, and bacon.

The low consumption of fish and shellfish among U.S. adults could be due to high retail prices, lack of awareness of the health benefits, and concerns about mercury contamination in certain types of fish.

Future research is needed to identify barriers to reducing processed meat consumption and increased seafood consumption. Policies such as nutrition quality standards, excise taxes, health warning labels, and other interventions need to be explored.

**********