Do you like cheeseburgers?If you do, you’re killing the planet.A new study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine blames fat people for the increase in global warming, as increased energy costs for food production, increased carbon emissions and a heavier reliance — forgive the pun — on cars contribute more to climate change.The study outlines the differences between the U.S. and  slimmer countries like Vietnam, whose population consumes 20 percent less food and produces less greenhouse gases than the U.S., where 40 percent of the population is obese.Food production alone is responsible for about 20 percent of all carbon emissions on the planet and will continue to get worse, considering the average body mass index  continues to increase in America and the United Kingdom, where 25 percent of the population is obese and is set to increase to at least 40 percent in three years.Less energy is required to transport skinny people, as fatter people are more prone to driving cars, increasing carbon emissions and furthering the death of the planet, according to an April 20 article in the International Journal of Health.As one of those obese 40 percent, I cringe at this study. There’s nothing wrong with large quantities of beef. After all, this is America. But now I’m killing the planet.I used to be comfortable with slowly killing myself and increasing a trend of undocumented workers in ungodly conditions to make the Whoppers I so regularly consume.I used to be comfortable with the slow death I inflicted on myself on a daily basis.Now, I’m being blamed for tsunamis, floods and Hurricane Katrina. It’s no secret America is the fattest nation on the planet. The Daily Reveille also reported Louisiana is the second fattest state in the country. But what difference can a nation that invented the Big Mac and the Super Size really make?As inclined as I am to side with the Republicans — in that global warming is a myth Al Gore invented to sell movies and books — it’s tough to feel responsible for liking things that are delicious.Message to PETA: Roul’s Deli is delicious. Also, I won’t stop ordering Mega Shrimp Burgers until they cease to be delicious.In this instance, I’m more than willing to blame America first. After all, our obesity has gotten exponentially worse during the past 40 years.When McDonald’s first opened, the “large” size beverage was 20 ounces. Today, the 20 ounce drink is a “small.”As the standard of living in America got larger, so did our bellies, favoring the convenience of cheap, quick food in favor of locally grown, fresher alternatives.Our own self-indulgence has led to new, thoroughly uninspired artery cloggers as the Triple Whopper, the 24-hour drive thru and, my personal favorite, Baconnaise. Thank you, Jon Stewart. It’s OK to feel bad about killing the planet. It’s OK to indulge in guilty pleasures every once in a while.But when a wall has to be torn out of your house so paramedics can transport you to the hospital after your heart attack because you can’t fit through your front door, it’s time to change.I wrote a column last month about my ongoing crush on Michelle Obama and her new vegetable garden. I argued, “We can show the world we aren’t a nation of lazy slobs addicted to high fructose corn syrup as if it were crack.”Now, it’s not just for us. It’s time to save the world — one celery stick at a time. Eric Freeman Jr. is a 22-year-old political science junior from New Orleans.–Contact Eric Freeman Jr. at [email protected]