Will I weigh less if I move to the equator?

A handy suggestion for the diet and exercise shy!


Asked by: Chris Bryson, Brixham

As our planet bulges at the equator, its gravitational pull there is lower than in the UK. Better still, the effect of the spin of the Earth at the equator also helps offset the force of gravity.

The bad news is that even the combined effect would reduce your weight by less than 1 per cent – so it’s probably easier, all told, just to cut back on the beer and pies.

Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.