Fatbergs are nothing but civic lipids

With tonnes of food residue scheduled to be emptied into kitchen sinks and drains over the festive winter season around the world, it is time to consider the most neglected victims of the ‘globesity’ epidemic: our mega cities that are OD-ing on discarded fats at an unprecedented rate.

So, it is not surprising that two multi-tonne fatbergs — giant masses of congealed fats, grease and oils that clog crucial subterranean sewerage systems — were extracted from two spots in London this week. Similar fat-scraping operations are conducted in bloated major cities across the world with alarming regularity and increasing frequency. The inescapable fact is that while cholesterol is now off the hook when it comes to human arterial health, the same cannot be said for the effect of fats on the hundreds of thousands of kilometres of drainage arteries. In fact, when it comes to drains rather than veins, fat remains the main enemy, not sugar.

As a ‘heart attack’ in this context would mean gushing backflows in bathrooms, kitchens and city streets, some thought is warranted not only about the fat we pour into our systems but also pour out as leftovers that then solidify into fatbergs that block drains. Since fatbergs form and grow apace because we — not drains — love fried foods and other oily delights, we must begin to think beyond our own arteries.