An Externality of Obesity

Externalities, those economic factors which a student is introduced to and spends most of their undergraduate days trying to understand. So try this one on.

The Telegraph reports:

But according to new reports emerging from Santorini, this scenery is now coming at a high cost in animal cruelty, with the price being paid by the island's donkey population. The practice of selling donkey rides to visitors is attracting growing criticism from animal welfare groups, who argue that the creatures are being forced to carry excessive numbers of increasingly overweight tourists from the UK, the USA and Russia. Coming in for particular fire is the busy route up the cliffs of the west coast - from the harbour at sea level to the capital Fira, which sits some 400 metres (1,312 feet) above the water, on the ridge.

Yes, those obese tourists from the US, UK and now Russia. Where are the Germans may I ask?

My experience over the years has shown that American style foods and worse American style servings are the cause. They first infiltrated the UK. I saw this about twenty years ago. The Pret a Manger sandwich shops went from small French style servings to Manhattan style colossal sandwiches. Then the Brits added fries and beer! Tie that on at lunch and then try to do anything for the rest of the day.

The poor donkeys.