A probe has been launched into a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon (painful!) who claims to have converted fat removed from patients through liposuction into fuel for his 4×4.
Dr Alan Bittner claims to have used the excess flab to power two of his vehicles, ‘lipodiesel’ as he himself calls it. The doctor claims his patients were only too willing to allow their excess pounds to be used to help save the planet.
Dr Bittner claims to have carried out more than 7,000 liposuction operations and a gallon of fat will provide a gallon of fuel.
Bio-diesel is more commonly made from vegetable oils, although half of the U.S. supply comes from beef or pig products. Animal and vegetable fat contain triglycerides, and these can be extracted and turned into diesel.
However, it is illegal in America to use human medical waste to power vehicles. Obviously someone must have tried it before!
Since this all came to light, Dr Bittner has apparently high-tailed it to Colombia in the wake of a number of lawsuits for malpractice. Several patients allege that Dr Bittner allowed his untrained assistant and his girlfriend, also untrained, to perform operations and that they removed too much fat, leaving them disfigured.