Does just immigrating to the USA lead to weight gain?
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thorsmom01 wrote: »Any weight gain will come from a caloric surplus.
Albeit , its likely easier to over consume here in the USA . but it still comes down to calories.
Yes, there are bigger portions. But its up to the individual to consume the larger portions or not.
Yes , highly processed foods are readily available here and inexpensive. But again, it comes down to the individual. Its their choice to consume them and their choice to consume high quantities.
It's very unfair to blame a country as a whole ( I saw a comment saying there's something wrong with the food supply here)
Its about taking responsibility for your own actions. American foods do not cause weight gain alone. To gain weight, one must eat at a surplus. The reasons as to why people have chosen to eat at a surplus, will vary .Lol, it's "lifestyle" as to why Americans are in the 65% overweight/obese category. It's not a "blame" it's an observation. Much like when someone who falls into a lot of money, but had no experience or knowledge in financing or saving. They tend to just roll with what they know and if someone hasn't been exposed to food in high quantities and at their beck and call, it's not unusual to indulge and have that become habitual behavior.
The answer to the original question in the title is still no. Just winning the lottery doesn't make you irresponsible with money just like just immigrating to the US doesn't make you irresponsible with your diet. Its up to the person to make the right choices. Is it easier to gain weight? Absolutely, but its avoidable.
Also, when I said "stop blaming..." I wasn't directing that at you, but people in general. Poorly worded.
I agree!! Well stated!!!0 -
Why the hell are portions so big? It's disgusting. Even muffins, why do they need to make them so big- I wish these popular fast foods cared about stuff like that.
Consumer demand and competition.
To be negative about it, much of the US doesn't have much of a food culture, so many places compete on cost, size (all you can eat type stuff too), and convenience.
If they make more money selling more of the bigger stuff, what do you expect?0 -
Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol0
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Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.0 -
My opinion on that is YES.
Anectodally, I've have several friends and relatives from the Philippines immigrate to the US and are excited for the opportunities with work. When they arrive (based on pictures I've have with them) they are fairly normal in weight. 5-10 years later many of them have easily gained 30-80lbs in excess weight. When I compare them with other family members (their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) at home in the Philippines who are still normal in weight, I'm of the opinion that immigrating to the USA from just about any country, will more than likely result in significant weight gain.
As to why, I believe it's access to abundance of food and affordability where they didn't have it before.
Also the institution of American lifestyle in the workforce (long hours, long commutes, high stress, super competitiveness, etc.) are probable contributors to it too.
Initially I thought it was just more processed foods, but the same foods are available in the Philippines too.
Feel free to chime in on this especially if you have friends or relatives that immigrated here in the last 10 years.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
In 1967 I was an exchange student from Germany at a mid-western university and due to circumstances ( living in the dorm was the main reason, not having any money was the other ) I ate my meals at the dining hall, because I was provided with a free pass.
I not only took the then required PhysEd classes, but also played lawn hockey twice a week and still gained 30 pounds in just under a year. I returned to Germany and without trying, just eating the food I had been used to, I lost those 30 pounds within 4 month and returned to my standard 49-50 kilos/107-110 pounds.
Almost the same thing happened 20 years later when I did a MA in Community Nutrition and Epidemiology in the US. This time I was better prepared and only gained 15 pounds, which at age 40 I was proud of. Again, when returning to my accustomed diet I easily lost the weight.
I am really glad that university students these days have many more options ( including natural foods ) than those who studied almost 50 years ago did.
I suspect that the fact that I grew up in post war Germany, eating unprocessed, mostly locally grown food in sufficient, but not exaggerated portions ( and in my childhood right after the war often went hungry, as we all did ) and then being offered enormous amounts of what at the time I considered " exotic food " ( yes, for me in the 60's a large baked potato with lots of butter, even more cream and bacon bits was exotic and delicious, or pizza that went beyond two slices per person ) really seduced me.....to the tune of 30 pounds.
PS: I should add that the first thing my sponsor family did was give me driving lessons and let me use an old family car. In Germany I had walked everywhere, taken my bike or used public transport ( which still requires some walking to get to and from the bus or street car ).
When I returned twenty years later I was urged to buy a car ( which I did ) to get around Boston, while at " home " ( at the time I lived in Japan ) I went everywhere by bike and actually was down to 47 kilos/103 pounds which for someone 4' 11" is not even in the low range.
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My opinion on that is YES.
Anectodally, I've have several friends and relatives from the Philippines immigrate to the US and are excited for the opportunities with work. When they arrive (based on pictures I've have with them) they are fairly normal in weight. 5-10 years later many of them have easily gained 30-80lbs in excess weight. When I compare them with other family members (their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) at home in the Philippines who are still normal in weight, I'm of the opinion that immigrating to the USA from just about any country, will more than likely result in significant weight gain.
As to why, I believe it's access to abundance of food and affordability where they didn't have it before.
Also the institution of American lifestyle in the workforce (long hours, long commutes, high stress, super competitiveness, etc.) are probable contributors to it too.
Initially I thought it was just more processed foods, but the same foods are available in the Philippines too.
Feel free to chime in on this especially if you have friends or relatives that immigrated here in the last 10 years.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
In 1967 I was an exchange student from Germany at a mid-western university and due to circumstances ( living in the dorm was the main reason, not having any money was the other ) I ate my meals at the dining hall, because I was provided with a free pass.
I not only took the then required PhysEd classes, but also played lawn hockey twice a week and still gained 30 pounds in just under a year. I returned to Germany and without trying, just eating the food I had been used to, I lost those 30 pounds within 4 month and returned to my standard 49-50 kilos/107-110 pounds.
Almost the same thing happened 20 years later when I did a MA in Community Nutrition and Epidemiology in the US. This time I was better prepared and only gained 15 pounds, which at age 40 I was proud of. Again, when returning to my accustomed diet I easily lost the weight.
I am really glad that university students these days have many more options ( including natural foods ) than those who studied almost 50 years ago did.
I suspect that the fact that I grew up in post war Germany, eating unprocessed, mostly locally grown food in sufficient, but not exaggerated portions ( and in my childhood right after the war often went hungry, as we all did ) and then being offered enormous amounts of what at the time I considered " exotic food " ( yes, for me in the 60's a large baked potato with lots of butter, even more cream and bacon bits was exotic and delicious, or pizza that went beyond two slices per person ) really seduced me.....to the tune of 30 pounds.
PS: I should add that the first thing my sponsor family did was give me driving lessons and let me use an old family car. In Germany I had walked everywhere, taken my bike or used public transport ( which still requires some walking to get to and from the bus or street car ).
When I returned twenty years later I was urged to buy a car ( which I did ) to get around Boston, while at " home " ( at the time I lived in Japan ) I went everywhere by bike and actually was down to 47 kilos/103 pounds which for someone 4' 11" is not even in the low range.
Sounds about right.
But a car to get around Boston? I can't really wrap my head around that one, lol.0 -
sunandmoons wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »Any weight gain will come from a caloric surplus.
Albeit , its likely easier to over consume here in the USA . but it still comes down to calories.
Yes, there are bigger portions. But its up to the individual to consume the larger portions or not.
Yes , highly processed foods are readily available here and inexpensive. But again, it comes down to the individual. Its their choice to consume them and their choice to consume high quantities.
It's very unfair to blame a country as a whole ( I saw a comment saying there's something wrong with the food supply here)
Its about taking responsibility for your own actions. American foods do not cause weight gain alone. To gain weight, one must eat at a surplus. The reasons as to why people have chosen to eat at a surplus, will vary .
I believe that we cannot make the average US person 100% responsible for what they eat and how much.
The US food culture is a culture of over abundance and exaggeration.
If people are told over several generations that as an example a 32 oz soft drink is " pretty normal " than people start to use this as their base of consumption. Or does anyone think that any person outside of MFP would consider a 3oz steak to be " normal " size ?
I once went to a US steakhouse with maybe a group of ten women. Two were from the US and the rest from Latin America.
Both American women ate a normal steak, while the rest of us ate a skinny " lady's " cut which still was ten oz and about three times the normal portion of meat served in most countries of the world.
A person who grows up in such a food culture, where parents already had the same experience and their children most likely will be exposed to the same, will automatically think that they are eating within a " normal " range.
Only when people get sick, overweight, or have another crisis do they usually question their caloric intake and maybe adjust accordingly. Most people won't, because the way they eat, which also includes portion size it literally hard wired into their brain.
I 100% agree with you that weight gain only happens when too many calories are consumed . But I also have to say that unless the average person makes an effort to acquire specific information, a fair knowledge of science and nutrition the US food culture and industry does not help in any way for people to lead a healthier life. People are literally left on their own.0 -
Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.
Yeah, but I don't think we can claim the weather is worse than in, say, Sweden.0 -
Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.
But surely no one can think that in other countries they don't have long, cold and snowy winters. Or others with never ending humidity and high temps, where some of the thinnest people on this planet live.
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Bex_hostie wrote: »On Wednesday I'm going on holiday to Los Angeles (I live in England) so I'll let you know
Be careful. The air here is really donut particulate. You'll gain the moment you breathe it. lol.
I didn't read anything but this page. If someone else already came up with donut particulate theory of US weight gain, I apolgozie.0 -
My opinion on that is YES.
Anectodally, I've have several friends and relatives from the Philippines immigrate to the US and are excited for the opportunities with work. When they arrive (based on pictures I've have with them) they are fairly normal in weight. 5-10 years later many of them have easily gained 30-80lbs in excess weight. When I compare them with other family members (their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) at home in the Philippines who are still normal in weight, I'm of the opinion that immigrating to the USA from just about any country, will more than likely result in significant weight gain.
As to why, I believe it's access to abundance of food and affordability where they didn't have it before.
Also the institution of American lifestyle in the workforce (long hours, long commutes, high stress, super competitiveness, etc.) are probable contributors to it too.
Initially I thought it was just more processed foods, but the same foods are available in the Philippines too.
Feel free to chime in on this especially if you have friends or relatives that immigrated here in the last 10 years.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
In 1967 I was an exchange student from Germany at a mid-western university and due to circumstances ( living in the dorm was the main reason, not having any money was the other ) I ate my meals at the dining hall, because I was provided with a free pass.
I not only took the then required PhysEd classes, but also played lawn hockey twice a week and still gained 30 pounds in just under a year. I returned to Germany and without trying, just eating the food I had been used to, I lost those 30 pounds within 4 month and returned to my standard 49-50 kilos/107-110 pounds.
Almost the same thing happened 20 years later when I did a MA in Community Nutrition and Epidemiology in the US. This time I was better prepared and only gained 15 pounds, which at age 40 I was proud of. Again, when returning to my accustomed diet I easily lost the weight.
I am really glad that university students these days have many more options ( including natural foods ) than those who studied almost 50 years ago did.
I suspect that the fact that I grew up in post war Germany, eating unprocessed, mostly locally grown food in sufficient, but not exaggerated portions ( and in my childhood right after the war often went hungry, as we all did ) and then being offered enormous amounts of what at the time I considered " exotic food " ( yes, for me in the 60's a large baked potato with lots of butter, even more cream and bacon bits was exotic and delicious, or pizza that went beyond two slices per person ) really seduced me.....to the tune of 30 pounds.
PS: I should add that the first thing my sponsor family did was give me driving lessons and let me use an old family car. In Germany I had walked everywhere, taken my bike or used public transport ( which still requires some walking to get to and from the bus or street car ).
When I returned twenty years later I was urged to buy a car ( which I did ) to get around Boston, while at " home " ( at the time I lived in Japan ) I went everywhere by bike and actually was down to 47 kilos/103 pounds which for someone 4' 11" is not even in the low range.
Sounds about right.
But a car to get around Boston? I can't really wrap my head around that one, lol.
Agreed here. Boston and NYC would be two of my top cities where I wouldn't want a car.
(I lived in Chicago from 1994 through 2008 without a car and no one urged me to buy one. I finally did, in 2008, since I finally decided it would be useful for various reasons and I had a parking spot, but it was easy to get by without it most of the time.)0 -
My opinion on that is YES.
Anectodally, I've have several friends and relatives from the Philippines immigrate to the US and are excited for the opportunities with work. When they arrive (based on pictures I've have with them) they are fairly normal in weight. 5-10 years later many of them have easily gained 30-80lbs in excess weight. When I compare them with other family members (their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) at home in the Philippines who are still normal in weight, I'm of the opinion that immigrating to the USA from just about any country, will more than likely result in significant weight gain.
As to why, I believe it's access to abundance of food and affordability where they didn't have it before.
Also the institution of American lifestyle in the workforce (long hours, long commutes, high stress, super competitiveness, etc.) are probable contributors to it too.
Initially I thought it was just more processed foods, but the same foods are available in the Philippines too.
Feel free to chime in on this especially if you have friends or relatives that immigrated here in the last 10 years.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
In 1967 I was an exchange student from Germany at a mid-western university and due to circumstances ( living in the dorm was the main reason, not having any money was the other ) I ate my meals at the dining hall, because I was provided with a free pass.
I not only took the then required PhysEd classes, but also played lawn hockey twice a week and still gained 30 pounds in just under a year. I returned to Germany and without trying, just eating the food I had been used to, I lost those 30 pounds within 4 month and returned to my standard 49-50 kilos/107-110 pounds.
Almost the same thing happened 20 years later when I did a MA in Community Nutrition and Epidemiology in the US. This time I was better prepared and only gained 15 pounds, which at age 40 I was proud of. Again, when returning to my accustomed diet I easily lost the weight.
I am really glad that university students these days have many more options ( including natural foods ) than those who studied almost 50 years ago did.
I suspect that the fact that I grew up in post war Germany, eating unprocessed, mostly locally grown food in sufficient, but not exaggerated portions ( and in my childhood right after the war often went hungry, as we all did ) and then being offered enormous amounts of what at the time I considered " exotic food " ( yes, for me in the 60's a large baked potato with lots of butter, even more cream and bacon bits was exotic and delicious, or pizza that went beyond two slices per person ) really seduced me.....to the tune of 30 pounds.
PS: I should add that the first thing my sponsor family did was give me driving lessons and let me use an old family car. In Germany I had walked everywhere, taken my bike or used public transport ( which still requires some walking to get to and from the bus or street car ).
When I returned twenty years later I was urged to buy a car ( which I did ) to get around Boston, while at " home " ( at the time I lived in Japan ) I went everywhere by bike and actually was down to 47 kilos/103 pounds which for someone 4' 11" is not even in the low range.
Sounds about right.
But a car to get around Boston? I can't really wrap my head around that one, lol.
Me either. The few times I've been in Boston I've done everything I can to avoid driving. Miserable construction, traffic, hard to find your way around for someone who doesn't know the city ...0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.
Yeah, but I don't think we can claim the weather is worse than in, say, Sweden.
Well, obviously, but compared to a lot of European countries, for example, the weather is definitely very different.0 -
My opinion on that is YES.
Anectodally, I've have several friends and relatives from the Philippines immigrate to the US and are excited for the opportunities with work. When they arrive (based on pictures I've have with them) they are fairly normal in weight. 5-10 years later many of them have easily gained 30-80lbs in excess weight. When I compare them with other family members (their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) at home in the Philippines who are still normal in weight, I'm of the opinion that immigrating to the USA from just about any country, will more than likely result in significant weight gain.
As to why, I believe it's access to abundance of food and affordability where they didn't have it before.
Also the institution of American lifestyle in the workforce (long hours, long commutes, high stress, super competitiveness, etc.) are probable contributors to it too.
Initially I thought it was just more processed foods, but the same foods are available in the Philippines too.
Feel free to chime in on this especially if you have friends or relatives that immigrated here in the last 10 years.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
In 1967 I was an exchange student from Germany at a mid-western university and due to circumstances ( living in the dorm was the main reason, not having any money was the other ) I ate my meals at the dining hall, because I was provided with a free pass.
I not only took the then required PhysEd classes, but also played lawn hockey twice a week and still gained 30 pounds in just under a year. I returned to Germany and without trying, just eating the food I had been used to, I lost those 30 pounds within 4 month and returned to my standard 49-50 kilos/107-110 pounds.
Almost the same thing happened 20 years later when I did a MA in Community Nutrition and Epidemiology in the US. This time I was better prepared and only gained 15 pounds, which at age 40 I was proud of. Again, when returning to my accustomed diet I easily lost the weight.
I am really glad that university students these days have many more options ( including natural foods ) than those who studied almost 50 years ago did.
I suspect that the fact that I grew up in post war Germany, eating unprocessed, mostly locally grown food in sufficient, but not exaggerated portions ( and in my childhood right after the war often went hungry, as we all did ) and then being offered enormous amounts of what at the time I considered " exotic food " ( yes, for me in the 60's a large baked potato with lots of butter, even more cream and bacon bits was exotic and delicious, or pizza that went beyond two slices per person ) really seduced me.....to the tune of 30 pounds.
PS: I should add that the first thing my sponsor family did was give me driving lessons and let me use an old family car. In Germany I had walked everywhere, taken my bike or used public transport ( which still requires some walking to get to and from the bus or street car ).
When I returned twenty years later I was urged to buy a car ( which I did ) to get around Boston, while at " home " ( at the time I lived in Japan ) I went everywhere by bike and actually was down to 47 kilos/103 pounds which for someone 4' 11" is not even in the low range.
Sounds about right.
But a car to get around Boston? I can't really wrap my head around that one, lol.
I did not know I had to give geographic details, but should have said Boston and surroundings, because I had to go to Beverly twice a week and at the time there was no way to get there and back on the same day considering my schedule by public transport.
Also as an uninformed foreigner, when Tufts University advised me that I would be better off owning a car to get around, I believed them and must say that with my Post Grad schedule and the hours I spent in different labs, a car, while not exactly " necessary " came in handy.
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[/quote]
Sounds about right.
But a car to get around Boston? I can't really wrap my head around that one, lol.[/quote]
Me either. The few times I've been in Boston I've done everything I can to avoid driving. Miserable construction, traffic, hard to find your way around for someone who doesn't know the city ...[/quote]
I can't say, because I haven't been back, but maybe the Boston of 30 and more years ago was different.
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Sorry, the post showed up twice, so I deleted.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.
Yeah, but I don't think we can claim the weather is worse than in, say, Sweden.
Well, obviously, but compared to a lot of European countries, for example, the weather is definitely very different.
If you look at all of the US and at all of Europe, I would say the weather is very similar. While you can't compare Switzerland with Arizona, you could easily compare Arizona with large parts of Spain, Switzerland with Colorado and large parts of the US East Coast with many places in Central Europe in general.....as an example.
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l[/quote]
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.[/quote]
Maybe then for health/exercise purposes walking is not the exercise for you and you need to find something different.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Makes me think of the documentary Supersize Me. Portions, AGE, depending on where in the USA they live..if North...lots of long cold winters...nothing sounds better than settling into a warm house with a movie, hot chocolate, and cookies..lol
You know, that's a good point too. Weather. Seriously, where I live, there are maybe 2 nice months a year. The rest of the time, it's either too cold and snowy, or too humid and hot, and I don't know about most people but the last thing I want to do is be out there walking in those conditions. And I'm someone who loves walking, lol.
Yeah, but I don't think we can claim the weather is worse than in, say, Sweden.
Well, obviously, but compared to a lot of European countries, for example, the weather is definitely very different.
If you look at all of the US and at all of Europe, I would say the weather is very similar. While you can't compare Switzerland with Arizona, you could easily compare Arizona with large parts of Spain and large parts of the US East Coast with many places in Central Europe.....as an example.Maybe then for health/exercise purposes walking is not the exercise for you and you need to find something different.
Ok I'm not going to argue my point forever, but I was walking 2 hours a day in France because the weather was way less extreme than it is here. So it IS a valid point... whether you agree with it or not. And I'm sure the weather in Germany, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and probably others is pretty similar.
And I do plenty of walking, I just do it at the gym now, I just don't understand how the type of exercise I do is relevant to this thread about why 'people' tend to gain weight when they move to the US.0 -
I just tried to be helpful with my suggestion, because you said that ten month of the year you had no real exercise ( walking ) weather. Sorry to interfere, won't happen again.0
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