is this how the world sees us ?

[cade]

granted that this is a humor site _ sick humor at that, but is this how the world views the U.S. ? Never been outside the U.S. myself but I did have a relationship with someone who grew up abroad in Europe and Germany. Apperantly things are quite different there.
Now, I know alot of people in the U.S. are willfully ignorant of how the rest of the world veiws them. But is it as simple as this ?

[mhr]

1. Yes - Europeans Are Generally Much Healthier Than Americans

eom

[alittlelark]

2. That picture is just sooooo wrong.

Does the blonde know what she looks like?

[cade]

10. dunno

probably she is aware she is big. Sorry to say, but she isn't unattractive from that view. Better cut clothes would probably be appreciated by most viewers however.

[Phillycat]

11. Some people are into big girls.

And some girls enjoy being big.

However, there are health considerations. I choose to stay thin because I think it's healthiest for me. But not everyone believes that.

[pagerbear]

12. "Does *** know what s/he looks like?"

Do you have any idea how offensive that question is?

[LeighAnn]

21. All the same...

All the same, this person must be able to feel the fresh air on her butt cheeks, she must figure it's something that everyone wants to see.

[alittlelark]

22. She is wearing a black thong underneath see-through sweat pants

and the pants are sinking. That is offensive, listen I don't want to see ANYONES underwear, especially while I'm eating. Her hair is unbrushed, and her clothes are rumpled as well.

[procrastinator]

23. Right, it's called UNDER wear for a reason....

[Downtown Hound]

3. That might be a little simplistic

but there is no doubt some truth in it and does sum up the feelings of many people in Europe.

[Gothic Sponge]

4. Sadly, it's not far from the truth.

[lizzieforkerry]

5. From my experience- yes.

Several times when someone realized I was from America- their first comment was "But you are so thin" (and unfortunately, I am not that thin which makes the comment even sadder.)

The most embarassing thing that happened to me in Germany was when I sitting in a restaurant with my 2 year old and the little two year old next to us started talking to us in German. I told the mother that, sorry, we only speak English. She then turned to her 2 YEAR OLD and said, Speak English, please. And the 2 year then started speaking to us in fluent English. I wanted to die. So IMHO they think we are fat and stupid.

[Phillycat]

6. And,,,we are.

Sad truth.

[Jack Schitt]

9. Well, in a way, Americans are stupid.

Look at the 59 million people who voted for Bush on election day.

'Nuff said.

[MissB]

25. Wow.

2 years old, and already bi-lingual.

Can you imagine if we tried to push that as a standard in this country?

[Jack Schitt]

7. The picture is true.

European people are much healthier and thinner than we are.

The main reasons are probably that we eat large portions in meals (super-size is the main food portion size sold among fast food joints), we drink waaaaaaaay too much pop (one can has too many calories, and most people who drink pop on a daily basis don't only drink one can. One can, on average, has about 140 calories. Take that and multiply by six. That's how much pop most college people drink), and we're lazier (how many kids do you see playing outside now versus ten-to-fifteen years ago??).

Thankfully, I have quit drinking pop, I exercise (lost 25 pounds in the last year and a half), and fast food isn't my food of choice anymore.

But dayum! What country is that hottie on the left from?

[cade]

16. I still fight with my weight

part of my problem is a heavy build combined with allot of weight bearing exercise, I do allot of physical activity - like cutting scrap iron into 3 ft x 18 in sections and loading it into a trailer ( 90 dollars a ton, not getting rich but it's money and I'm self employed ) But there's no denying I have a paunch.
Now, I live in a rural area and rarely eat out, like a few times a year and I generally avoid pop, but I still have a hell of a time keeping the weight down - I grow almost all my own fruits and vegetables as well as make my own sauces and jellies, do allot of home canning, freezing and dehydrating. I sell at farmers's markets in the summer, and I'm always carting around two young kids. But I still have trouble with my weight, cheese is the demon that drives me. Cheese and bread,pasta,etc are so difficult for me to eat sensibly. I don't know why I crave it but I do crave it.

[realisticphish]

20. same problem with me

i just keep a lot of apples and sunflower seeds around. that, and a CRAPLOAD of sugar-free gum. If i get hungry, i start chewing gum, and it really does help


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[miss_kitty]

8. It's not to say there are not obese people in Europe

but they are doing something about it. The UK is wanting to ban fast food ads. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4013537.stm

Of course the 'fat food' industry is up in arms over it, Even though the target date is 2100

[skygazer]

13. Okay so shoot me

I think both those pictures are gross. I'm not really into seeing anyone sitting around with most of their butt hanging out. And no, I'm not a prude and I don't have a problem with nudity or skimpy beachwear. But if you're going to wear clothes, wear them.

[Lavender Brown]

15. Yeah - that's not what I picture when I imagine a European woman

:shrug:

[cade]

18. seems to be the style lately

don't care much personally, but either people don't know how to wear clothes with a proper fit or they don't care. Immodesty is not uncommon anymore so that may well be the desired result of said clothing.

[Ctrl_Alt_Del]

14. Some girls are bigger than others

Some girls' mothers are bigger than other girls' mothers.

[Bjornsdotter]

17. Yes...

...not all Europeans but a lot of them. My Dad always said that Americans were fat because of potato chips....at that time they didn't have chips in Sweden.

[lizzieforkerry]

19. The other reason I think they are thinner is because they

walk everywhere and if they can't walk to it, they walk to the trams or train stations. You can only buy as much food as you can walk home with, and they don't usually give you bags to carry your food in. This was my experience anyway. This might be how it is in the big cities in the US but not in the vast majority of the country. In suburban Ohio, I don't walk anywhere. And I buy as much groceries as I want because I just load them all into my big van and drive home. Also pop is VERY expensive there. When you order it in a restaurant you get a very little glass and no refills. It is more expensive than beer. It was very hard to get any food to go. They just expect you to sit and enjoy the meal, so you don't tend to eat as much because you are not eating on the go.

[seaofcrisis]

26. I agree with you.

and think the big difference between the US and other parts of the world is that in the US, a high standard of living is available everywhere. In other parts of the world, even things like restaurants and grocery stores are only common in urban areas. And as you point out, in urban areas you can walk to those places.

In the US, we have walmarts and mcdonalds out in the middle of nowhere, in places where the people live too far apart to walk and there are too few people for mass transit solutions. So the result is a unique american "suburbia" where people drive SUVs and eat fattening food, but don't have the limitations that make city people walk and exercise.

While stationed in Germany we would do what were called "staff rides" That is, we'd travel to a place where a big battle in WWII had taken place, and read and talk about history. The result was that we'd sometimes end up in places that were far from military bases, and thus not used to seeing American's walking around. One time, we called ahead to a restaurant and got reservations for, i think, 9 people. Even though the caller spoke German, the owner could tell we were americans. When we showed up he laughed. He had cleared a huge area of the restaurant for us because he thought, "9 Americans comming here? Where will they all sit?" He was pleasently surprised that we all turned out to be fit.

[Phillycat]

24. The most interesting difference I see is the posture.

[Kellanved]

27. that's just a mean picture and not true

Yes, you see more obese people stateside and one sees more extreme cases. But yes, sadly, Europe is catching up. Also remember: the social health systems will be unable to keep going, should the health problem grow to American dimensions (sorry).


Anyway, the somewhat better situation right now is ascribed to the bigger middle class, the social extremes are far closer to each other.
Another thing that should not be ignored is HFCS: we don't have that (yet).

[American Tragedy]

28. That is a sad generalization

I'm an American but that "difference" certainly doesn't apply to me - I weigh 105-110. It doesn't apply to anybody I see around me in the school library right now, either. I'm sure there are more obese people here, but it's definitely not the rule.