Social Why Americans are so Fat

[AFanNotAFighter]

Living in Florida at the time. I'm eating an avocado walking and inspecting the production line. One of my operators comes up and asks, what the fuck is that? Had never seen or heard of an avocado. Early 20s white dude.

Likely never seen or heard of a book either.

 

[PBAC]

I haven't been to the states in some time and I forget how bad it is in the states in regards to health and obesity.

One of my good friends who's also lived abroad for years and recently moved back to Virginia has been telling me what it's like and I'm vicariously getting reverse culture shock with the shit she's telling me about how people eat and live.

One of the most shocking things my friend told me was she went out grocery shopping with her friend and friend's cousin, and the cousin who's in her mid 20s, picked up a fruit and said, "What's this?" It was like a pear or something common, not a rare exotic fruit. This grown woman only ever ate candied versions of fruit that she never seen what they actually look like.

It seems Americans have totally different conception of what "healthy" eating is. People eat shit like chicken tenders and fries all the time and think their obesity is genetic. I've met people who think I'm some kind of health freak because I eat vegetables. I even knew a guy in his 30s who had scurvy for Christ's sake.

Americans are the only group of adults I've met who have discussions about which fast food place is better.

There's no two ways about it: Americans are fat as fuck. Obesity rates in other countries are increasing but I haven't seen the giant behemoths in other countries like I have in the states. It's an entirely different class of "fat."

This must have something to do with education (or lack thereof) and laziness, to tie it in with my other thread, but I wonder if mental health plays a part as well. Why else would anyone give up on themselves to the point they can't fit in a car or need a mobility scooter? Why are we turning into depressed, low IQ, fat lazy fucks?

Other factors like lack of public transportation and over reliance on cars. Nobody walks or bikes anywhere because of the lack of infrastructure.
There really isn't a wider culture of walking or hiking or generally being active. It seemed to me that people in general were outside more in other countries, even in countries that get cold.

There also seems to be a weird extreme where people are either obsessed with fitness and looking jacked (which isn't necessarily healthy either), or they're just fat slobs.

Maybe it's because it's so much easier in the US to order something cheap and shitty than to go out to a restaurant where it'd be more expensive and you'd have to tip on top of it. Definitely easier than buying groceries and cooking yourself.

I know sherdoggers aren't the best sample size since we're all jacked 6'6 +220 lbs of muscle, but I can't be the only one who's disturbed by this?

I would guess ot has to do with food safety standards. Basically if you eat the food its extremely fattening and youre gonna gain weight. If u are health focussed u have to avoid that food and eat healthier as a whole. In europe heavy fats and sugars are removed from most food so you can work out and wat moderately without gaining weight.

 

[Crash Lance]

This thread is depressing.

 

[Renard]

LA is a different world. I feel my attractiveness points go down whenever I go to LA haha. I can definitely feel that people are much more concerned with their looks over there.


A lot of vegan products are junk too now.


I agree. The concept of food is entirely different. As you said, for many people packaged meals and fast food is what people consider to be food. For me fast food is no more a meal than eating a bunch of candy bars would be a meal; it's the occasional self-indulging "treat" but for a lot of people it's a daily staple. And that's one of the biggest factors. There's a cultural element to it and Americans don't even know what "healthy" is. It's like people really can't put two and two together. "Why can't I lose weight? I'm only eating one serving of burgers or frozen pizza every meal!"

One of the most profound differences I noticed when I dated European women vs Americans is what we would tend to eat and how much we cook. Totally different attitude and tendencies towards food.

I have an Australian friend that visited LA for the first time with his (very fat) girlfriend. The girlfriend really hated it. I tried to fish for a reason why and he wouldn't say but he let it slip about "judgmental place" or something like that and I immediately knew it was about the girlfriend feeling inadequate. It's tough to be checked like that lol

 

[fingercuffs]

Everything comes at a price. I threw out not eating what I want when I want a while ago and don't work out anymore.
The only concession I've made recently is not using cream, butter and cheese in everything every weekend, I became addicted to classic French cooking and it wreaked havoc with my waistline . I was even roasting potatoes in beef dripping for a normal Sunday roast.

 

[Crash Lance]

I have an Australian friend that visited LA for the first time with his (very fat) girlfriend. The girlfriend really hated it. I tried to fish for a reason why and he wouldn't say but he let it slip about "judgmental place" or something like that and I immediately knew it was about the girlfriend feeling inadequate. It's tough to be checked like that lol

Most probably, I would've loved to have seen those moments happen. Did she feel inadequate on the first day that she visited LA? Or was it the following day?

I would've been rolling on the sidewalks (and in broad daylight). I seriously doubt that I would've had the mental fortitude to wait until I returned to my hotel room.

 

[fingercuffs]

I have an Australian friend that visited LA for the first time with his (very fat) girlfriend. The girlfriend really hated it. I tried to fish for a reason why and he wouldn't say but he let it slip about "judgmental place" or something like that and I immediately knew it was about the girlfriend feeling inadequate. It's tough to be checked like that lol

Yeah first time I went to LA I was overweight so I get how it would make you feel uncomfortable. First time I stayed there was at The Roosevelt where the pool is known on reality shows as a LA lovies hangout on Sundays so I did feel a bit out of place just having a cocktail.

 

[TeTe]

@lsa is fat but he's not American.

He's going to show me where all the fatties eat in Sweden next month. He just doesn't know it yet.

 

[I Am Legion]

I hear this statement all the time. Americans are fat. But we are also the most fit culture. We have more Gyms and Fitness centers/programs than any 5 countries put together. Certain areas are very fit and have an outdoors culture. Others are in fact fat. We have access to any food imaginable. When food is good, its tough to say no. We also do use additives that hopefully RFK gets banned.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I haven't been to the states in some time and I forget how bad it is in the states in regards to health and obesity.

One of my good friends who's also lived abroad for years and recently moved back to Virginia has been telling me what it's like and I'm vicariously getting reverse culture shock with the shit she's telling me about how people eat and live.

One of the most shocking things my friend told me was she went out grocery shopping with her friend and friend's cousin, and the cousin who's in her mid 20s, picked up a fruit and said, "What's this?" It was like a pear or something common, not a rare exotic fruit. This grown woman only ever ate candied versions of fruit that she never seen what they actually look like.

It seems Americans have totally different conception of what "healthy" eating is. People eat shit like chicken tenders and fries all the time and think their obesity is genetic. I've met people who think I'm some kind of health freak because I eat vegetables. I even knew a guy in his 30s who had scurvy for Christ's sake.

Americans are the only group of adults I've met who have discussions about which fast food place is better.

There's no two ways about it: Americans are fat as fuck. Obesity rates in other countries are increasing but I haven't seen the giant behemoths in other countries like I have in the states. It's an entirely different class of "fat."

This must have something to do with education (or lack thereof) and laziness, to tie it in with my other thread, but I wonder if mental health plays a part as well. Why else would anyone give up on themselves to the point they can't fit in a car or need a mobility scooter? Why are we turning into depressed, low IQ, fat lazy fucks?

Other factors like lack of public transportation and over reliance on cars. Nobody walks or bikes anywhere because of the lack of infrastructure.
There really isn't a wider culture of walking or hiking or generally being active. It seemed to me that people in general were outside more in other countries, even in countries that get cold.

There also seems to be a weird extreme where people are either obsessed with fitness and looking jacked (which isn't necessarily healthy either), or they're just fat slobs.

Maybe it's because it's so much easier in the US to order something cheap and shitty than to go out to a restaurant where it'd be more expensive and you'd have to tip on top of it. Definitely easier than buying groceries and cooking yourself.

I know sherdoggers aren't the best sample size since we're all jacked 6'6 +220 lbs of muscle, but I can't be the only one who's disturbed by this?

the scales are certainly tilted towards obesity in the states. I think the most important factors are:
- the availability and prevalence of garbage processed food which has crowded out healthy alternative. I think this is due to aggressive commercial practices from big corporations who make more margins selling frozen lasagna than fresh natural vegetables.
- general obsession in american culture with doing fun stuff at all times. Why bother cooking boring, bland vegetable soup for and hour? Better grab some taco bell and watch Netflix instead.
- general absence of culinary culture in USA, where people have zero common sence about food.
- acceptance of ugliness in the public sphere. You can walk around being fat, ugly and dressed in joggings in USA and be accepted. In Europe you outcast yourself if you do that.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I was reading a bit the other night about how light, sunlight in particular can have an effect on a person weight. It was found in studies that those who spend more time out doors tend to be thinner. It didn't mention this in the article I read but have read in the past that sunlight can be helpful at lower sugar levels in the body. Lower sugar levels are thought to help some to lose weight.

Also sunlight through the eyes can help to stimulate the body to create more hormones associated with weight loss such as thyroid hormones, along with testosterone.

So America is one of the most industrial nations in the world where most people work in doors out ot the sun all day. That simulating winter conditions year round very well could be contributing to America's growing waist size.

I can imagine all the addictive fast foods available such as pizza, hamburgers, french fries etc is a main contributor also.

I don t think that s true. USA is an extremely sunny place on average. I am pretty sure that the average American gets more sunlight just going to his car and bbqing in his garden than the average northern euro who barely gets sun at all in the winter despite walking 30 minutes per day.

 

[Deleted member 449757]

I've been to the US and the food portions are fucking ginormous compared to Europe.

 

[Contempt]

Everything comes at a price. I threw out not eating what I want when I want a while ago and don't work out anymore.
The only concession I've made recently is not using cream, butter and cheese in everything every weekend, I became addicted to classic French cooking and it wreaked havoc with my waistline . I was even roasting potatoes in beef dripping for a normal Sunday roast.

...may not be great for the waistline but sounds delicious.

 

[Contempt]

He's going to show me where all the fatties eat in Sweden next month. He just doesn't know it yet.

The only fatties that I remember seeing in Sweden were tourists...

 

[Thepaintbucket]

I live in a 40% plus obesity state. Seems like the common denominator here is eating and a lack of physical activity. But I guess you got to ask yourself the reason why.

If I had to speculate it's the environment. Places with ideal environments tend to promote more outdoor activities. My state is s*** for people who want to do stuff outside and on top of that, the weather is horrible.

 

[Osculater]

@lsa is fat but he's not American.

Preach brother

 

[Osculater]

I've been to the US and the food portions are fucking ginormous compared to Europe.

 

[PBAC]

Everything comes at a price. I threw out not eating what I want when I want a while ago and don't work out anymore.
The only concession I've made recently is not using cream, butter and cheese in everything every weekend, I became addicted to classic French cooking and it wreaked havoc with my waistline . I was even roasting potatoes in beef dripping for a normal Sunday roast.

Thats the ONLY concession? THAT!?

 

[Slapjit]

Most of di big skins mi kno just eat too much nuh walk enough an' overall lazy AF wen mandem actually deh bout di gym workin at like 3-4RPE like y yuh even show up today bredda

Dan mandem be like "yeah fam finna do it dis taym no cap nuh like di odda 29x before now mi gwaan on dis keto diet but first mi finna do a juice cleanse while intermittent fasting 20/4 every odda day saw ting pon IG fam" like my guy stfu jus lift hard an' eat vegetables an' get yuh protein up LMFAOLL

All good tho RFK finna start di culture shif bros jack3d

 

[Madmick]

This thread is depressing.

Oh, we've only just begun, my young Skywalker.

Learn how the at-one-time richest nation in the world per capita became one of the poorest & most isolated, the fattest, and perhaps the most drug-addicted: