Since I moved out of the U.S. a few years ago, one of the biggest
things I have noticed is how fat Americans are.
When I was living in the States, even when I was 50 pounds heavier than I am
now, I hardly noticed. It seemed I was
normal size because there were always plenty of people bigger than me.
A few years ago my family and I
moved to a country that has many tourists from all over the world. Today while we were at the playground, I
noticed a tour group being led to one of the many lookouts throughout the city
to take pictures. I commented to my wife
that these were defiantly not Americans based on how skinny the group looked. Out of about 50 people, I did not see one
overweight or obese person among them. It turns out that I was right! They were from Germany.
Why are Americans so much fatter? I can only speak from personal
experience. I
strongly believe that it all boils down to the type of food one consumes on a
regular basis along with the level of one’s physical activity on a daily basis. Since moving from America, I am surrounded by
people who value fresh fruits and vegetables.
Also, people are very active; I always see kids outside running
around, people taking walks, and families playing at one of the many parks in
our city. Also, gasoline is expensive. People take a lot of public transportation
and walk to their destination, often carrying groceries
or other kinds of bags.
Also, the portions served in
restaurants here are a lot smaller than what I was used to in the U.S. I remember my feeling of shock when I was
served a small piece of salmon with a few potatoes and a small soup. We only each got one piece of bread; if
you wanted more, you had to pay for it. The real kicker was when we realized that we were not
entitled to unlimited refills on our sodas! Since spending more time here, my perspective
has changed dramatically; it’s not that the portions here are so small, but
that the portions in the restaurants in the U.S. are so huge.
What do you think?
Has anyone traveled internationally and noticed a difference in the size
of people in other countries?
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