Climate change battle like losing weight: Clinton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday compared the challenge of fighting climate change to her own struggle to lose weight.

Speaking to State Department staff on Earth Day, Clinton said more must be done to reduce the department's environmental footprint and conceded this was a big challenge, much like one of her personal battles.

"Often times when you face such an overwhelming challenge as global climate change, it can be somewhat daunting -- it's kind of like trying to lose weight, which I know something about," she said to laughter.

"You think, oh I only have to lose X numbers of pounds but it seems like such a far away goal," she added.

"It's kind of like world peace and so therefore why even try? Well, because we are called to try. That's who we are as human beings and that's especially how we think of ourselves as Americans."

(Reporting by Sue Pleming; Editing by Xavier Briand)