Dr Alan Bittner, a leading Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, has been running his car using body fat from his patients.  Bittner uses the fat removed during liposuction procedures to power his 4x4. So, piling on the pounds this Christmas could be beneficial after all, writes Julia Stephenson.

Lawsuits against Dr. Craig Alan Bittner uncovered the claims that he was turning the medical waste into biodiesel to power his Ford SUV and his girlfriend's Lincoln Navigator. Although there's no mention of how Bittner did it, the triglycerides in the different types of fat, including human, can be turned into diesel fuel.

Bittner wrote on his now extinct website, lipodiesel.com, "The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel - and I have more fat than I can use. Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly but they get to take part in saving the Earth."

Ironically, while oil companies are destroying the last of the earth’s beautiful wildernesses in their search for fuel, Dr Bittner is being punished for his innovative use of unwanted fat.  He is currently being investigated by California's public health department for using the medical waste, which is illegal.

READ MORE