I work two jobs for one reason: travel. It is one of the most important things to me- I have to see how other people do life, how they spend their time on earth. I have been to a handful of foreign countries and bounced around the USA. I'm very grateful for this opportunity and hope the blessing of travel continues.
During my out-of-country travels, I noticed something: America is fucking FAT. I know you've probably heard that a million times before, but going to another country and not seeing a single obese person makes it a reality; it's depressing. I even noticed how upset I would get with my portions when going out for a meal- I thought they were serving me an appetizer where a meal should be. To add insult to injury, instead of giving me my beverage in the standard American bucket, they poured it in a dixie cup...no refills included!
After the meal however, I noticed something: I was satiated, I wasn't dying of thirst and I didn't have to take home leftovers that I wouldn't eat any goddamn way. An epiphany!
We are so used to overindulgence in our country, that anything short of a buffet is starvation. And people wonder why the motor scooter is taking the place of the shopping cart. In France, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, etc I visited local grocery stores and was surprised that I did not see one motorized shopping cart. I didn't see one customer that shared a likeness with Java the Hut. Go figure.
I have, however, seen SOME attempts to make America fit. Public schools no longer serve full-calorie soda and have cut back on their service of empty calorie foods. But this is a far cry from health! American doctors always wish to blame it on "genetics"- some people just can't help it. Well, the last time I checked, they had "genetics" in Europe, but somehow physically fit "genetics." I'm not a biology specialist, but I call bullshit on that excuse.
Let's break our dinner plates in half, buy a 20 oz instead of a two liter and buy one instead of "buy two get one free"; there needs to be a change here.
meow
Yay!
ReplyDeleteI agree. While in Paris, I could spot Americans from a mile away because they were typically fat asses. Really sad. I think I only saw one obese couple that wasn't American--they sounded German. Maybe Germany needs to get its shit together, too. According to the World Health Organization, they are right behind the U.S. in terms of obesity.
When I go out to restaurants, I notice that Americans have a habit of shoveling food into their mouths before they've even finished their previous bite. We have issues with instant gratification. Americans need everything NOW NOW NOW, and it goes for food as well. Europeans seem to know that it's important to sit back and savor every bite of a meal--eating dinner becomes a social and sensual experience. Instead of eating a massive plate of food in 5 minutes, they sit back and enjoy their smaller meals with conversation. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to process that your appetite has been satiated. Maybe Europeans eat less because they eat slower.
Also, Jabba the Hutt.