Why Americans are Overweight and How the Rest of the World is Thin

Wait a sec... my husband and I went to the Philippines in 2003 and everyone there or at least 95% were all skinny - fit..... and saw a lot of cigarette smokers. they were all skinny and were running around happily.... so after reading this article I find some contradictions on what you just posted.

I have lived in another country, and where l was l saw the fat to healthy ratio was equal if not more. Im not sure what source this article is using. Other countries may not eat fast food as much as we do, but they have their own sinful food and over-do it. I would safely say poor countries with high poverty rates are thinner. Also, not only fast food that is hurting us, its all the hormones they put in our mean, the nasty toxins that go unnoticed by Americans that destroy our metabolism. While l was living in that country, l ate everything, pizza, burgers, chocolate whatever DAILY weighed 115, l come home, eat healthy and lve gained 10lbs. That is a sure sign to me.

Sorry, I don't know what in the hell some of you guys are talking about. I have been to Europe and they are slimmer than Americans. Yes, in the UK they are fatter, that is because Americans and the Brits have a similar diet and cooking style. France and Italy is not an overweight nation. At size 12, you will look fat compared to the average French and Italian female. I am now a size 20/22. It is hard pressed to find a French or Italian woman my size. Even the old fat ladies in their 70s and don't come no where near a 20.

We are a fat nation. I think some of you guys are lying about going to Europe.

Angela, obesity is not rising in China and Japan like the United States. Simply not true. They are becoming overweight and losing their lean physique. That is true. But you are not seeing the Chinese or the Japanese being as big as Americans overall.

Matter of fact, Yahoo did a report a few days ago that the Japanese are back to being paranoid of being mildly overweight. The report states that many Japanese women are now UNDERWEIGHT and the Japanese government is now concerned about that.

Americans like to justify being fat. I used to Pro Fat-Acceptance, but seeing many family members and friends of family die to obesity related diseases, I can no longer justify that the average American diet is far from healthy.

This blog is not crap, unless you are happy in being in denial that having a weight issue is okay, because you don't want to change your eating habits. Unfortunately, many people ascribe eating healthy as eating boring foods. Where unhealthy foods suppose to taste good. Far from the truth.

Kimberly, you are so correct. Only the ignorant will say that eating healthy is more expensive. When you go to McDonald's a #1 combo meal is now close to $7. Are you telling me that you can't buy and fresh fruits and veggies for $7? And most likely $7 of groceries can be 2 days of food compared to spending $7 on McDonald's for one damn meal.

Excuses. Excuses.

Like someone complained earlier, you can buy a burger, fries and a soda for $2.99 but a bag of apples is expensive for $2.99. Um, a bag of apples can last you a few days for $2.99. A value combo meal can not. I see bags of apples for about $3.50 where there is 7 apples in a bag. You can eat an apple a day.

I don't get why people think that eating fast food is so much cheaper than eating healthy. Simply not true. You gonna keep on paying $7 for every meal? The money spent of fast food a week can buy people healthy food choices in their grocery store.

People just refuse and make excuses on why they can't be healthy.

I think the media and people in general are STUPID , why because they're on a bandwagon and making things look worse than what it is .
If everyone in USA was skinny, then you would hear , Wow USA are all skinny don't they eat . Companies wouldn't be making the money with skinny people , because they've no reason to eat alot.

It's true FDA has control ,the person above is correct.

america is fat because of cheap crap food .....if you cook at home and eat only 2 times you are not fat ....big cities has less fat people because they dont drive

I had no idea about why Americans love fast food until I got here.
Burger tastes good but will kill you eventually.

This is funny. Just recently an Aussie friend of mine, who is overweight, was telling me (a petite, size 4 American) how fat Americans are. It's just so ridiculous that some people are so quick to condemn Americans while ignoring their own obesity problems. It makes me want to scream.

AMERICAN IS FAT BECAUSE OF MCDONALDS
I JUST SAW A 1200 POUND MAN RIDING A MINI BIKE
DOWN THE STREET

Kevin was right when he said that the government doses not care they are in it for the money, They know these things are bad, you see on TV drugs that are suppose to help have dangerous side effects drug company's are being sued. Sure corn syrup is natural but is more addictive then regular sugar. Read the box's look at all the chemicals in the food. Wanna get thin get rid of all the over processed food. It is hard to do and you will have set backs but you will see the difference in a few months. I tried eating a regular candy bar since I have not had any for a while got sick check the ingredients got even more sicker to my stomach ache now if I want chocolate I pay more eat less of it I buy organic chocolate. (for those who say organic is crap bet you get sick a lot) the best thing is to eat healthy, get off the bum and go have some fun. get a trampoline even if it is a little one it is fun to play on.

I moved to Asia and lost 35lbs in less than 6 months, I go back to the states now and I am disgusted at how fat and out of shape my fellow countrymen and women are. We are really in a bad way, and so was I.

Of course there is unhealthy food everywhere, the difference is how much of it you eat and how often you eat it! Another factor is exercise, look across Europe and see how much walking they they do, for instance they walk to the local shop while we take the car. I walk quite often but find it disturbing how very few people I see doing the same thing, instead they are driving by in their cars looking at me as if I'm crazy for taking the healthier option.

American are drugged with the sugar and processed foods which have made us more drugged and addicted to it. Plus- we are all stressed out with the *(&&(*(*& that is going on in this country due to the recession and lack of job growth ! It is no wonder people are sitting at home eating ice cream or having beers to relax.

Americans Are Fat. At younger ages and at alarming rates. Sedentary. Wrong food choices and too big portions and just......sedentary. Ever expanding, and no matter how many articles are touted in the womens' magazines, American Women and Men are getting ever fatter and morbidly obese. Case in point: Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Women's Day, Family Circle: Page 81: a ten page spread on HOW TO LOSE TWELVE POUNDS BY MEMORIAL DAY followed by Page 119: LEARN TO LOVE AND EMBRACE YOUR BODY and yetr in the same issue, Page 56: STRATEGIC WAYS TO CAMAFLOGUE YOUR TROUBLE SPOTS. Waste of time and money. Want to be in shape, feel more energetic, breathe better, sleep stronger, save your joints from stress, prevent diabetes, high blood pressure and hypercholesteremia? You all know what to do...have to actually DO IT and DO IT PERMANENTLY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Make that choice and that commitment.

I wanna know where this $2.99 big burger, fries and drink combo are.

So where are the FACTS of the average weight of Americans as compared to the people of other countries? Whether Americans are fatter or not is not an opinion. It is a fact that should be supported by data, not some babble about fast food and processed food.

actually I concur, yep me again

even in Central America the obesity is rising. all due to imported fast food franchises and the kids and family easting off the remittances sent down, it is said in the cities but in the country, you do NOT see this so much, cleaner food, more walking

1/2 the people the commented didn't even read the entire article before posting lol.......

People need to move more and sit less.