Does just immigrating to the USA lead to weight gain?
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »WELCOME TO THE USA!!!!! WOOT!
Dang girl, what's that?0 -
I moved from the USA and gained weight.1
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queenliz99 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »WELCOME TO THE USA!!!!! WOOT!
Dang girl, what's that?
Bacon stuffed inside a glazed donut! I need one of these dang things now!0 -
I was stationed in Germany for two years. I ate fast food several times a week, drank a lot of booze but still managed to maintain my weight. I think the biggest difference for me was my activity level. Everything over there (both on and off post) was easily within walking distance or we would take a short train ride and walk everywhere when we got to our destination. There was really no need to rely on a car. It was a different story once I came back to the states and ended up in upstate New York where nothing was in walking distance and having a vehicle was a necessity.0
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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.
This is reductive. Yes, people make their own choices but their environment shapes that choice. If you were living in Ireland during the potato famine, you literally wouldn't have access to a McDonalds or most foods of any kind so you can't make that choice, obviously. If you live in a city area with no grocery stores within 10 miles but 25 fast food restaurants, that is also going to affect your choices. If you live in a rural area with no sidewalks/that's 30 miles from anything you can't make the choice to walk somewhere.
The question of whether or not environment affects behavior is not up for debate. It's a fact. 2 seconds of googling got me this study that showed that the environment inside a middle school affected students' food behaviors and therefore their health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22709644.
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Portion size is a major factor and people that live there don't see it. I didn't notice it after living there for a while but then I bought plates in the US and they wouldn't fit in my microwave or dishwasher when I got home because they were so big! I did not notice the size change while I was there though.0
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h OPi! I haven't read all comments , but I'm going to give you my opinion, since I move to the USA last year, for me that represented a weight gain of 30 lbs, now, I did that to my self I agree, I ate all the excess calories but it was sadly cause I felt like a kid in a candy store.
difference between my home town third world country and the USA
1) I'm Hispanic, we eat basically home made food and when I got here all my relatives were eating out several days a week, I was not used to that at all and yes portion are huge here.
2) I'm in NYC and oh my freaking god there is McDonald's like every 2 blocks! where I am we have like 5 mcdonald's in the whole city
3)eating pizza or candy or ice cream? it was like a big event, for you guys is like well I'm in mcdonald's or wendy's bla bla not a big deal
4)it always amaze me when I do my groceries and I take a look to others people shopping cart, and I see chocolate, ice cream, frozen pizza and all this treats that I absolutely had no access before, like ever, back home all you grab is the basics food items
5) can you believe where I'm from people ask you when they know your are traveling back home to bring them milky way, sneakers, etc? like that's such big deal there
seriously it's shocking when even back home I wasn't poor at all but is so common to see so much poorness and people struggling just to survive and have their basic necessity cover, to see so much prosperity and abundance here.
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No. Poor choices lead to unwanted weight gain. Stop blaming other people or the lifestyle and be accountable for your own decisions.
This example of complete blindness to infra/structural factors amazes me.
Cities are built differently, workdays are longer (in the US especially), people commute by car, sometimes 2 hrs a day, how can you even argue against this? I would guess that people's NEAT expenditure is reduced by like 80%, if they come from a city/place where walking is a normal form of transportation.0 -
Portions, accessibility, and the rat race. After 22 years I finally figured out what I used to do before I came to the US
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oh and just to add that yes a big factor was the weather too!, I lived in the Caribbean that means you get hot weather 365 days, you wear the same clothes all year around, you do your activity's as usual, when I arrive here last year I didn't want to leave the house like ever, sooooooooo cold and all I did was stay home/eating a lot0
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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
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
according to most of the research to date, the answer is yes. Immigrating also leads to statistically significantly more episodes of mental illness. It's stressful all the way around.0 -
Look at it from this position. How many people in countries outside of the US actually count their calories? I going to bet it's a very small percentage. People just ate based on the environment they were exposed to. Change the environment and more than likely the person will adapt.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.
It's like going to a gym. Get a newbie in there and they won't know what to do. They may get help, they may not, but OBSERVATION is usually how we adapt to an environment. They'll learn a few machines from watching, they'll learn they can lift more than they thought, they'll figure it out.
We don't find Americans counting calories (save a few) and people that are immigrating are seeing how portions are. They don't want to waste food because back where they came from, food may have been hard to come by or attain.
So I don't believe it's out of irresponsibility, but lacking the knowledge of actually being attuned to how much food they really need to eat just to keep their current weight.
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
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I think there is more of a car culture in the USA and restaurants everywhere. It would be easy to move a lot less and eat a lot more calories. I think it is also easy to not do that if you are aware.
I have to say a relative married a lady from the Philippines and for a time she gained weight. I think it is a case of luxuriating in the abundance- more money, more resources than her family had ever had.
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For me no.
I emrgrated to Canada as a 20 yo weighing 105lb.
As a 62 yo, still living in Canada, I weigh 100-105lb, and always have except for a 30lb over 5 yr blip in my 50's that was soon sorted out!
My saving grace:
I don't like fast food or chain restaurants, in general, I prefer independent eateries or home cooked. I also never think I am going to polish off a plate of food that wasn't prepared at my house, so don't even try.
I don't like North American chocolate or the beer ( micro brewery stuff is great) so the expensive stuff imported from the UK was a treat.
I walked, bussed or biked most of the time. I drive more now because my grandson is 4 hrs away and it would take for ever to walk, bike, and swim over from the island ( Vancouver, for you Canadians) to visit him.
In general, I suppose one could pack on the pounds with the food offerings in North America; but one doesn't have to. It is a choice.
Cheers, h.
Another interesting and thought provoking thread ninerbuff, keep then coming.
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Not everyone has a choice of not using a car. Transportation options are abysmal in lots of places (which are also effectively non walkable, and anyway in places like that it'd take forever for ppl to get to jobs an hour's drive away, even 30-40 mins). Like I'm not sure how reasonable it is to expect that people make choices about walking from one end of the GTA to the other (a route many people have to suffer through in their cars)0
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Doesn't have to be. I'm in my 50s same height and weight as when I graduated high school (have never varied more than 10%). I've had an office job since college and anywhere from a0
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Doesn't have to be. I'm in my 50s same height and weight as when I graduated high school (have never varied more than 10%).
I've had an office job since college and anywhere from a 40 to 60 minute one way commute every day.0 -
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oyChihuahua wrote: »
I see no bacon here!1 -
So true Tomatoey, transportation isn't always a choice. So glad I live in a small city, with a transportation system that has improved over the past 40 years.
Cheers, h.0 -
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middlehaitch wrote: »So true Tomatoey, transportation isn't always a choice. So glad I live in a small city, with a transportation system that has improved over the past 40 years.
Cheers, h.
Lately, I'm thinking that sort of setup sounds really, really good...0 -
portion sizes, processed foods,… if we go back to just eating fruits and vegetables and cut out processed foods, we'd be good. it's hard tho'. fresh produce is more costly than processed foods and the government doesn't help by subsidizing the corn (corn syrup, fructose….) industry… and a lot of the fast foods use the processed corn products to make their foods tasty and made cheaply cause the government subsidizes it.
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I'm going with American portion sizes, they are huge... plus take away stores on just about every corner. And it's cheap!!!
For example, our LARGE big mac et al meals is the small size in American McDonalds. And once again your food is a lot cheaper and and more easily accessible than here.0 -
Also, is it true that places like New York have hotdog, pretzel and peanut stands everywhere on the sidewalks?0
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christinev297 wrote: »Also, is it true that places like New York have hotdog, pretzel and peanut stands everywhere on the sidewalks?
I've only visited New York a few times, but IIRC, those stands are mostly in the touristy places (which really is most of that city, I guess - but I didn't see them everywhere). Where I live, same thing, usually on the busy main streets, and around sports centres.
But street meat is a worldwide phenomenon (and usually delicious) - most places have some person in a cart or truck selling some kind of grilled or fried meat.
(I've been thinking I would like more cheap & accessible grilled meat options, everywhere I go.)0 -
But staying in a country and visiting a country are two different things. Whenever I vacation(I'm a foodie) I have to try the local fair. I do draw the line with organ meats, however. 0
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DaughterOfTheMostHighKing wrote: »portion sizes, processed foods,… if we go back to just eating fruits and vegetables and cut out processed foods, we'd be good. it's hard tho'. fresh produce is more costly than processed foods and the government doesn't help by subsidizing the corn (corn syrup, fructose….) industry… and a lot of the fast foods use the processed corn products to make their foods tasty and made cheaply cause the government subsidizes it.
Again it is all about calories in versus calories out
Not good or bad foods
I always ate pretty "healthy" i like to call it balanced
But like pointed out before...normal diary here in the US has MORE calories than in Europe/Holland
A glass of milk a bowl with yogurt etc...same amount but more calories... So easy to step into that mistake. It is not only the junk food!
And after all you always have to stay counting. I also agree that there is a big difference of being on a holiday ( when you are more active) and living in the US.
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When I went to Italy and Greece on vacation I lost weight. Perhaps I should go back to Italy 0
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The weird thing when you visit the USA is the portion sizes
You start off by laughing at them, stunned almost at the amount of food someone has put in front of you on a single plate
Then you understand why you guys do doggy bags which just aren't the norm in other countries
But then after a few days you start to adjust, and by about a week in you're easily finishing your plate
And you have so many high fat foods, everything comes with fries it seems0
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