Why are Americans so much more obese than the rest of the world?

Question

Im not interested in someone saying "we eat too much fast food" without hearing the science behind it....

Answer 1

because so many Americans make poor lifestyle choices. most do not eat well, they are not very active at all and some are just plain lazy. they also think it's too much trouble to make the effort to live a healthy lifestyle. Europeans ride bikes, walk a lot & they eat better food. I'm slender & adopted the European way of life several years ago.

Answer 2

The answer begins with the kids. They don't walk anywhere. They are driven to school and picked up after school. They spend a great deal of time hanging out at the mall, eating junk food and getting no exercise. A few turn out for sports, but with the phys ed system in place in most schools, the elite athletes (who least need it) are the ones who get to play the most, while the others (who desperately need it) spend most of their time sitting on the bench, or in the stands, watching.
Unless exercise is a regular part of life at an early age, it's very difficult to convince people to make radical alterations in their life styles.
Also, the amount of high calorie junk food available to kids is truly amazing. That, too, becomes a habit. And fast foods play a role too. When you're used to a double whopper, side of fries and a chocolate shake for a snack or a meal, you seldom realize the number of calories that you are packing away. Nor do you care. You have been conditioned, and become accustomed, to thinking that this is good for you.
Put these factors together, and you have the recipe for an obese population.

Answer 3

There isn't any science. To be honest, there ARE a lot more of you than there are in most countries but it's fatty foods and accessibility that are to blame. Instead of going into your kitchen and rustling up a sandwich you'd rather go to the local drive thru and get yourself a fat filled burger. What used to be a treat, is now lunch and dinner. It doesn't help when you've got the snot nosed teenager standing in front of you at the counter asking if you want to go supersize. The other thing is, you can't see what it's doing to your insides, and you haven't had a heart attack today, so you must be fine. Downsize your meals, make the most of all that land you have and go find a place to exercise. It is a persons own responsibility(barring any mental disabilities) to make sure that they, and they alone are healthy and the more people say "Ah, death won't happen to me", the more they'll eat and the earlier they'll die. America were just the first nation to show obesity on a large scale, other countries will follow suit, I'm sure.

Answer 4

The countries that are catching up with you (4 out of 10 are overrweight with 1 out of 10 being obese) are showing exactly the same patterns as in the US: loss of surrounding where moving around physically is part of daily activities, temptation is everywhere (there is no escape); enough money to buy, chubby is the standard (one doesn´t feel fat that quick), and instant gratification is default (sacrifizing for a satisfying result is too much asked). But what is also true is that individualisation of society makes lonely and anxious and loneliness and anxiety develops a need for comfort. Comfort can´t come from interaction and fun with others and so need to come from booze, drugs or food.

Answer 5

People in other countries are more active and eat fewer pre-packaged foods. Trans Fats (and Saturated fats) make up a much greater percentage of American's diets than diets of anyone else worldwide.

We also consume more of the following:
Soda (sugars)
Fast Food
Fried Foods

Answer 6

I have been in and out of this country many times and have been in other countries for extended periods. Every time I leave this country I lose weight and begin to regain my health. Every time I return, my weight increases and my health deteriorates. The single common factor is the food. I have seen many people from countries with less technology than the U.S. come and go as I have and have seen them arrive here in excellent health and physical condition only to watch both deteriorate within a matter of a year or so, then have seen them return to their countries for an extended visit and come back to this country in the same healthy condition as when they originally arrived. Again, the main common factor is the food consumed both here and wherever they came from and returned to. So, the answer is, in my viewpoint, the entire food chain in the U.S. is screwed up.

Answer 7

More consumption of processed, factory-made food (which is full of fat and sugar). But don't worry -- as the rest of the world gets richer and starts eating the same way, it will catch up. The Chinese government is already worrying about obesity there.

Answer 8

basicically we are a people of conveniencee now with eveyones bsy schedules. we eat too much crap. we consume more calories than we need - it is true, Think of the many third world countries without no fast food or the ones that have it only people with money might have it,

Answer 9

bahh just a steriotype but i've seen plenty of mexicans and even asians that are quite fat. When I was in the USMC I traveled to other countries only place i saw this to be true was in Sweden.... i counted 7 fat people in 14 days. Their mall there had literally 7 mcdonalds in it and 2 pizza huts but everyone almost walked or biked to everwhere.

Answer 10

here we have more foods unlike starving countries or poor places wealso have more activities to do that doesnt require alot of physical activity we also have more jobs meaning we sit or do jobs that also dont require alot of activity
btw you can not generalize americans as obese true many are but many are also fit and some underweight(im skinny -4ft 11 inches and 80 pounds and im 16) it comes down to we have more food but burn less calories because we have more to do but need more physical activities