YIKES! BLOB ATTACKS LONDON SEWERS!

One of my favorite science fiction films is the 1958 movie called The Blob, starring Steve McQueen. An amorphous jelly-like ball of material invades Earth from outer space and grows huge by eating and dissolving people into its mass. Perhaps the most dramatic scene is when patrons run out of a movie theater as the Blob digests its victims.

Well, it appears that the Blob may have attacked again. In late April of this year, the Guardian reported that a 10 ton blob of fat was removed from a sewer in the Chelsea area of London. Called a "fatberg", the blob was said to be 40 meters long and was so huge and heavy that it broke the sewer, necessitating costly repairs.

This was not the first time that a fatberg was encountered in London sewers. In 2013, a 15 ton fat blob was removed from a sewer in the Kingston area of London after residents complained that toilets would not flush. Again, damage to the sewer had to be repaired. Interestingly, after the blob was removed, it was dewatered and the remaining fats and oils were recycled into soap and fuel. Perhaps the soap later wound up back in the same sewer.

One wonders from where does the fat come that feeds a sewer blob. One source could be the kinds of fatty foods that Brits may have been eating. Putting aside such items as bacon rolls, one example may be the so-called full English breakfast, a quintessential "fry-up." Consider the ingredients, all of which are fried: pork sausage, bacon, beans, tomato, bread, mushrooms,eggs, black pudding and maybe kidneys, kippers and potatoes.

It is no surprise that media report Brits are getting fatter. Maybe it all began with Britain's first obese man, Daniel Lambert. At around 1800, he probably qualified as a blob, as he weighed 53 stone or about 740 pounds. He charged people a shilling to come and see him, and he is said to have made a fortune. Unfortunately, he died young.

According to published reports, Brits on average weigh 3 stones (42 pounds) more than they did in the 1960s. However, they still have a way to go to match the average American adult as the heaviest in the world. British adults are said to weigh 30 pounds more than the average globally, whereas Americana adults are 40 pounds more than the global average. Last year, the Telegraph reported that British women are the fattest in Europe, and pointed out that some believe that being fat can be a positive thing. On the other hand, as people become fatter, they also eat more, which can place more stress on world food production and related resources such as energy and water.

Is there any defense to the fat blob attacks against sewer systems? Perhaps an action plan to auger well could include:

1. Eating less
2. Eating healthier
3. Refraining from pouring cooking oils, fatty food debris and other nasties into drains
4. Frequent inspection and maintenance of sewers by the local utility

In the movie, the Blob eventually was captured and removed to polar isolation. But lingering doubts left an opening for a sequel or remake. Beware of a possible Return of the Fatberg Blob.