Fat Can Feed Millions

WASHINGTON--If the energy required to maintain the fat on overweight Americans were used to generate electricity, it could supply the annual residential needs of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, two scientists said yesterday.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana came to that conclusion after calculating the energy needed to supply the excess food consumed by America's 1.5 million overweight adults.

If they reached optimal weight, the obese people's excess energy could also feed 20 million people in India, the researchers said.

"We want to drive home the point that being overweight is a social problem and not necessarily just a personal concern" one of the researchers said.