Why are Americans so fat?

This is a very serious issue that everybody should be talking about. To many people just don't care enough about their health until they have a problem that they have caused or that may be caused by eating food laced with poisons and growth hormones and a host of other stuff put in the food chain on purpose to benefit the food and health care industries we need to open our eyes to as I like to put it.... "WHATS REALLY GOING ON" I'm working on a project that I hope will help us all understand what we are up againist and maybe even offer some solutions. Also don't be fooled by this so called health care reform BS going on in this country this is another corp. sponsored smoke screen designed to keep the American people blind to what they are really doing. We the people of this country need to get a clue and stop believing the crap we are being sold.

Yes I see... Oh I miss Starbucks... Mm mm the Frapuccino was sooo yummy! Ahemmm... Yes, Also I remember we back in HS we only had 30 mins lunch, nasty food and hardly any activities... I guess is up to someone to divide themselves to get in shape... But yes, United States is very stressing...

I agree... I think is because of the working too much factor... People have no time to prepare themselves a nice healthy meal. Where I live you usually get enough time to go home and eat with your family. Also the "eating schedules" are very different. People here rarely use fast food restaurants.

I don't know much about what you're talking about but it seems like your answer is more after the fact then how they got to be obese in the first place. Yes our society relies on pills for everything and honestly I don't agree but most people do. I wouldn't say this is the reason why people are getting fat or unhealthy. Yes the economy def reaps the benefits of anyone going to the docs and getting pills b/c it's money being mad and spent.

I am sorry, but you do not have more money than other countries lol :) Trust me! Denmark for instance is way way way richer than U.S. and they have about what? 1% of obesity? Sure they got less population, but they ARE richer..So the fact "money" has nothing to do. It's the culture.

Yes! There are lots of factors on this issue, but I believe that this particular one is the one that should be more addressed to.

That is very true... it does need to be addressed!

Yes indeed I remember the jumbo fries, jumbo everything... There you buy milk by the gallon, here we buy by liters! Everything is served much smaller. There are buffets with all you can eat here... But is not like in America, people don´t serve themselves 3-4 times a full plate.... I remember seeing people serve themselves over and over at the Chinese buffet-then ice cream as desert. Time is a big factor... In the US everything is in a rush, the distances are a great deal also... People hardly walk or do regular physical activity. I lost weight by changing my lifestyle. You see I am in Spain, and people here walk to the bank, grocery store, bars... you name it, the distances here are very short! Also I don´t have a car, so I walk and walk all the time except when going to far places. Another thing was the diet... No fried food!!! I cook myself, I use olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil. The Mediterranean diet is the worlds best diet due to its versatility and variety. One good example would be a salad: Tuna, black olives, cottage cheese, topped with olive oil. There you have your protein (tuna), Veggies (lettuce), dairy (cheese). That´s just how I make my salad, sometimes I use crab meat. Everything is NATURAL and not processed like in the US. Also this diet has plenty of fiber containing foods, and not like in the US where everything is fat... Trust me it is the best of the best.

Yeah, I highly recommend that, don't forget the olive oil.. that gives it a extra good flavor to it and it makes it just... irresistible! also you can add some avocados as a good healthy fat source.

Fibre is so under rated here. Even though there are commercials about it, it more or less is aimed at a medical condition that is caused by people not eating enough fibre. I noticed when I stopped making my drink for a few weeks I began gaining weight. I make up some juice and put it in a blender with frozen vegetables, and usually have a few servings a day. I guess that helped me lose weight. Walking is great, and you are right. Around here it is hard to get to a store if you want something. I am pretty fortunate, some stores are not too far for me to walk, but I cannot do my major grocery shopping there because they just do not have everything I need. Your salad sounds delicious. I will have to try that. I am such a lazy American, I hate having to prepare anything. That sounds very simple and nutritious.

Mediterranean is the most varied diet, it has veggies, fruits, fish, red meat... Anything you can think of except fried food... We use olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil... I know is so expensive in the US.... I suggest you look it up, since I live up here I have lost so much weight... When I was in the US I was a Jack in the Box fan... lol

Thanks, I will.

Oh no way, my family has very different customs and never fed us hamburgers or nasty things like that. I got fat because of what the government served on our plates... Surely it would be a good idea to educate parents beforehand about the good eating habits a child should obtain... God! I remember those 200lbs 3 year old babies in Dr. Phil!!! or what ever that show was... lol

I notice in my local grocers there are almost no light choices for foods, pretty much all of it is the regular version. I wanted to buy some sugar free canned fruit the other day, the naturally sweetened without the artificial sweeteners. No where to be found, and there are no artificially sweetened canned fruit available. I wouldn't buy that anyway, but even so it was not there. Just the sugar soaked fruits were available. I live in a relatively poor area. The markets cater to the wants of the consumer. I cannot find regular fish there, it is all breaded. I like it without the bread. If I want something specific that does not have a lot of preservatives, salt and sugar I have to go several miles out to get it. The local restaurants have mostly greasy fried foods, and foods laden with fat and salt. The salads are made with primarily iceburg lettuce and iceburg lettuce has no nutritional value. It costs extra to have more vegetables put on the salad. We are also saturated with fast food places. In fact, there are 6 fast food places within a 2 mile radius from where I live.

Hey mom*** I know is hard, specially if you have kids and a though schedule. We all like the easy things in life, I mean who doesn't? It just takes perseverance. The key is not in eating less...The key is in eating the right foods and having some sort of daily activity. I lost weight by eating more and staying active. Before I would do 2-3 BIG meals a day... Now I eat about 5-6 times a day and I am very slender. Taking 5 small meals a day is a matter of getting used to it and knowing what you are putting in your body. I wish you the best of luck. And if you ever need help let me know.

I truly agree with you... Maybe if the food was not so processed and more natural and fresh...

Yes indeed. It would be a good thing if more people could be addressed this issue and stabilize the massive growth in obesity, specially in children.

lol yeah... Oh that Martha Stewart... Yeah. I guess thats the way it is.

That is true, people in general just go for the easy things. Who doesnt do that? The problem is that in the States everything is made ready to eat... Those TV dinners with mashed potatoes... they taste awful, but of course who would buy the potatoes and mash them themselves? too much trouble involved... Maybe if the government could start a campaign promoting what is good to eat.

and when what? Seems you didnt finish your sentence here.

Is not that they "love" fast food... Its more a time, stress, distance related problem.

yeah! Everything is frozen, canned etc... no organic or fresh meals and if they are it is VERY expensive!

This is very true... But that would only occur if Asians inherit the style of life.

what?

yes, I agree.. little time... No fresh groceries and the fresh ones are so MUCH MORE expensive.

Well, the problem is more in their schedule and work times and the distances between work and home... it makes it almost impossible to prepare yourself a decent meal when you have to work over 8 hours and it takes you 40 minutes to get back home.

Well if you are referring to the white tall with blue eyes, these are most likely Europeans as America is constructed of immigrants. So really retarding the body structure it really varies. Not all Chinese eat rice and know Karate! And yes Americans do buy more canned food and ready to eat because they are always on the go.

I agree, the way of life there is so much harder... everything in a rush and there is not much healthy choices in hand... There are 100 burger kings out of 1 subway.