Why are Americans so fat and unhealthy?

Is your kid wearing a Buddy Walk shirt?

41yrs old, 5'-10", 170lbs.
I ran a 5K this weekend at 33:48 thank you very much.

I'm thinking a bacon cheese burger is sounding good for lunch today!

I agree, HFCS is a major culprit...

But, cooked food is as well... it is really common sense... Food in it's natural state is compatable with the body... But, if is cooked, the enzymes and beneficial bacteria is destroyed, forcing the body to produce this bacteria and enzymes to break it down over time...

Just a simple observation - How many animals do you see cooking their food??? Of course we are not animals, but, our bodies are made of the same stuff...

Also, I'm like 6'3 and 180 lbs. I'm actually almost underweight.

There are ALOT of chubbies in America, but not quite as much as the rest of the world seems to think.

Yup :)

This true as well - but, even a sedentary person would do well by switching their diet to raw food...

Now combine the raw food with moderate exercise and the weight will fall off...

I have travelled throughout the world, and I wanted to know why this is the case. I've been through the USA, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. I hate to say it, but from what I saw, I'd put Great Britain into the same category as North America, food and appearance-wise.

From my observations, in countries like Austria, Germany, Italy and France, they seem to eat real food without the all the chemicals like we have here. I remember the first time I saw an egg in Austria and the yolk was such a vibrant, almost orange colour. Over here, even if we eat the same meal, it's not the same. Our eggs will never look like that, unless we spend the money and buy organic free-range. Many people can't afford that.

I noticed the people in European countries are beautiful. Honestly. Shiny hair. Glowing skin. It stands out. Another factor that comes into play is that we don't have the ability to ride or walk everywhere like in Europe.

In Italy, when we would get the munchies in the late afternoon, we wouldn't even be able to find a place that was open to eat. They would close in the afternoon. I think there is a LOT less snacking going on. Here, you can ALWAYS find a place to grab some food. I had to learn to go a bit hungry, which is something that I don't think most Americans and Canadians do. I'm hungry. I'll eat. No "waiting until dinner".

I have to say, that in Great Britain (I love you all dearly) but you could see the skin and hair and weight of the people isn't the same as other European countries. It was more like North America. I'd find myself at a pub eating greasy foods.

In Egypt, from what I was told, they don't eat out very often. It's still old fashioned, home cooking.
In the UAE, they were beautiful. But then, we were given beautiful ripe dates to munch on and things like that.

Japan...omg...I am convinced the most beautiful people in the world live in Tokyo. The were mesmerizing. Again, it's what they eat.
In South Korea, it's much more "westernized" and it shows. There was that degree of difference.
China, while they weren't huge, obviously, I did notice that most seemed to live on instant noodles. They didn't have that same healthy look of the Japanese.

I think it boils down to not just what we eat, but how it's prepared before it even gets to our tables. All the chemicals and crap they put into it.
Also, it costs more money to eat healthy. A LOT more.

I thought Canadians were most all fit and healthy. You guys get the good stereotyping!

Why do UK-ers think USA-ans don't wash? At least one shower per day, some do two or three, and there is a whole lot of hand washing.

There are lots of fat people here (Not me; it isn't in my family.) They choose the wrong foods that cause them to crave carbohydrates. Wheat and HFC are two of the baddies.

No, not at all...

You can by a bag of organic oranges for about $6.00, good for 2-3 meals... Organic pineapple $6.00, Raw Almonds, raw veggies, etc...

Since switching to raw, my grocery cost has dropped from $100 per week, to about $50.00, and that is 90% organic food... Plus I do not crave, nor do I spend money on buying snack food... More $ saved...

It is cheaper and much more healthy to eat raw...

Overall, I would say we are on par with the U.S., when it comes to obese people...

We have the same fast food chains, and items in the grocery store as the U.S.

Very few people here have glowing skin, more like gray and dull...

More the question...is why the carers feed them what they know is not useful? Obese people cant move, cant get it themselves. People feed them because they are stupid or dont like them much and are helping them to die....so do the enablers need to be prosecuted for murder? I think so.

It happened right before our eyes, insidious actions by unsavory people sold our health out for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Simple...next country please.....you'll be next, we roll our own...people that is.

GMO and it is over.......just like the freak show of Atlantis....oh that dump sank!

America is not as bad as people believe. I was stationed in japan for a year and the mcdonalds burgers there are twice as big as they ae in america. For instance they have a quad bigmac. The problem with some americans is they eat then go to work. The believe by working they are "exercising". They need to realize you have to walk, run, etc on top of work. Then there are americans like me that live in a gym, eat 10 meals a day to suppliment calorie loss. Last time I went to the doctor he said I am fat going by the bmi chart and I need to lose weight. The bmi chart is outdated it may have worked before weight training, but now people are building muscle mass and that adds weight.

Fall Of Empire

Getting worse according to all the fat kids

let the british have their fantasy, they can not exist without feeling superior to someone...

It's good to see that there's broad agreement on this problem!

Aligator demon

^^^This^^^

Yes, we're barely more overweight than the British but certainly better looking, lol.

Yes and that certainly must be incredibly difficult given the facts of the matter.

lol, have you ever read their newspapers? they have sections devoted to the US and they examine every tiny thing? it's weird and not a little creepy. it's like having an overbearing "parent" who watches and comments on our every move.

This. And to top it off...a McDouble with 390 calories, 18 grams of fat and 1 gram of trans fat costs a dollar (mind you that this example is one of the healthiest things at McDonalds). How much does a nice healthy meal (or meal replacement product) cost? I would love to get a meal replacement shake from Nutrition Explosion every time I get hungry when I am not at home...but it is $7 vs the $1 sandwich I listed.

But even with all the things that could be listed...there is no reason for people to be so obese.

My weight gain was caused by medicine I took when I was younger (and the depression caused by the initial weight gain). But I am working it off. I have gone from about 270 with next to no muscle to about 230 with more muscle than I have ever had (I can actually see my muscle without flexing) in about a year.

The problem has nothing to do with food specifically, it has to do with lack of self control.

You're right, but don't feed the british beast...

This

Sugar in everything.

Watch the youtube documentarie. "Sugar the bitter truth"

1. Americans believe the 3 meals a day myth
2. Americans watch too much TV
3. Americans drive everywhere, even if it's less than a mile away
4. Americans have no self control