Linking Obesity and the California drought California is currently in the worst drought in recent history. This has been caused by the overuse of water in agriculture, the largest of which is the growing of alfalfa (hay) for feed for cows. These cows are then slaughtered and consumed.  Obese people consume far more resources (cows) that normal sized people and have largely/entirely been responsible for the increase in beef consumption and thus the need for more hay and the use of more water. Obese people have been a large contributing factor to the drought in California.