Does just immigrating to the USA lead to weight gain?
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The people of the Czech Republic love their beer. I gotta go now. LOL0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »
Or Biggest Loser, Jerry Springer or even Duck Dynasty?0 -
The solution is simple...
Free beer for everyone!
P.S. I should have explained. Dry counties are red, mixed are yellow, and wet counties are blue.
Chicago is yellow on the map, and the reason why is that (due to a state law passed in 1934) we can go dry by precinct, following a local referendum. The prior mayor used it a lot to get rid of problem bars and liquor stores, so there are a variety of dry precincts, mostly on the south side.
This may surprise you (not), but alcohol is not difficult to come by in Chicago despite this option.0 -
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Our city tried to clean up our red district by offering free land for any church that wanted to build there. The result? Church street. It's still in the middle of our red district.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCauley,_Edmonton0 -
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Interesting how much that map aligns with this map:I prefer world maps for looking at obesity world trends. It's visual. According to this map, we might ask what Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and the US have in common.
http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=26403
The US however, shows a significant north/south statistical shift. The US is like two countries in one, and only some states have an obesity problem.
I am such a fan of you, Senecarr.
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NB FEMINISM IS AWESOME just w capitalism etc creates this issue of no one to cook at home
& obviously not all men are so into picking up the slack
& of course many are
Also love feminism, here. Luckily for me, I know lots of folks (mostly women) who love to cook. I'm not one of them...0 -
I was always outside from 1st grade to 12th grade. It's a rarity now to see many kids playing ball in the street, or having that basketball backboard on the house above the garage and everyone playing. People are a bit more paranoid about their kids playing outside I guess.
This really resonates with me. If there is one thing that makes me feel old, it is how every day I have to drag my kid outside. That's when the poor kiddo has to listen to Mom rant about "WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE" and how I spent every possible moment outside, usually riding my bike or running around or walking all over creation. I vividly remember having to touch the front porch by curfew and running full-speed from all the way across town, wishing that my Swatch watch could stop time, lol. That same hometown (just visited last week, it's a 5-hour drive from where I live now) is sadly no longer fit for kids to run around the way I was able to--there are definitely safety problems now, a lot more than when I was little.
Most days, I drive my son to a nearby park with a huge bike trail, and he rides around there and seems to enjoy it, but it is very rare to see other kids his age doing the same (he just turned 13.) Mostly it's a few parents with toddler-aged children at a playground. The park is beautiful and huge and well-kept, and almost always empty, unless there are weekend ballgames going on or an occasional team practicing.
I grew up before the age of the internet. Some of the things the internet changed are marvelous and wonderful, but some are not. My kid more often plays with his neighborhood friends online in Minecraft than out back in a huge communal yard. Sometimes my hubby tries to get them excited about playing with a kickball or baseball, or even a frisbee, etc., but their interest in it wanes so fast.
And I'm on the same page with everyone who has referenced portion sizes, the excessive sugar & salt in many processed foods and the constant inclination our culture has towards snacking. Most of my family (grandparents & great-grandparents) immigrated from Italy, which meant I grew up on a lot of food that was picked right out of our own gardens. Somewhere along the line (for my family) those traditions changed a lot. Been thinking a lot about this lately, and slowly introducing changes to my family, especially portion control, which has been a battle. I have noticed that when I get them to drink enough water though, that the portion thing is less of a problem.
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I can pinpoint exactly when my daughter went from very slim to carrying a bit of podge...
It was when she got her licence/car and job. She was 16 and realised she could get take away whenever she wanted, and didn't have to rely on funds, food and transport from mum anymore. I swear she just about lived in the KFC drive thru those first few months!
And there were many times that she would have a healthy home cooked meal for dinner, and then toddle off to McDonalds at 10 at night.
Of course I'm not blaming the take out places for her weight gain, but her double dipping and eating far more calories than she had ever done caused it to quickly pile on.0 -
When I lived in Germany, I was 47 pounds lighter than what I currently am. Then I moved back home to MI and blew up like a blobby balloon. In Germany, I walked everywhere every day. My dog was allowed EVERYWHERE, so she always came with me. Even out to bars. We don't do that kind of thing here in MI. SO I got fat. In July, I started walking to try to replicate the walking in Germany. It's probably nowhere near what I used to do, the high stairs, the up and down inclines, bridges, cathedral steps, but it's what I got!0
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And I actually like our portion sizes, because you get SO much for cheap! I always always take home food, and it can last me another 2 or so meals.0
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Kimegatron wrote: »And I actually like our portion sizes, because you get SO much for cheap! I always always take home food, and it can last me another 2 or so meals.
Yeah. My issue is that I don't mind guessing calories for one meal, but not for 2, so someone else typically has to eat my leftovers, lol.
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I remember being in 7th grade and moving back to Germany. I was fat for my age and could barely walk up and down stairs or hills without loosing my breath. I always complained about having to walk everywhere or use public transportation. Then I aged, grew into the German lifestyle and became healthy. By the time I was 15 I lost weight and sat at 125-130lbs up until age 20 when I moved back to the U.S. 5 years later I am hugging 165-170lbs.
Portion sizes, a stupid variety of fast food, the novelty of having my own car and not walking everywhere balloned me. The first 15 pounds were gradual....the remaining I watched grow and did nothing about. So, here I am.0 -
Another point which I don't know has been brought up previously, but lack of "political correctness" outside the US. Just my personal observation, but I noticed that the rest of the world is far more blunt and direct and often considers PC statements insulting. For example when I put on weight and was at my heaviest my friends from Europe, Asia, and Africa would flat out say "You've gotten fat, are you ill?"0
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Lol, no lying. When I went to the Philippines for my BIL wedding back in 2010, lots of relatives who we visited and saw me when I was a kid, marveled at how big and muscular I got, but then turned to my other cousin who was about the same age and asked how they got so fat. No remorse in the statement, but genuine curiosity.Another point which I don't know has been brought up previously, but lack of "political correctness" outside the US. Just my personal observation, but I noticed that the rest of the world is far more blunt and direct and often considers PC statements insulting. For example when I put on weight and was at my heaviest my friends from Europe, Asia, and Africa would flat out say "You've gotten fat, are you ill?"
I was in line once at a Korean barbecue in the food court of the mall. My DW and I were waiting behind a Korean mother and her daughter. When they got to the counter, the owner of the place says "it's so good to see you. Long time since you've been here." The woman replied thanks back. Then the owner said "wow your daughter has grown so much. But looks like she got a little fat too." The woman replied back, "Yes I know. I tell her not to eat too much American food and quit playing on the computer so much."
My wife and I held our tongues, but you'd probably never here something like that at KFC or McDonald's.
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Hahahhaha maybe. All my euro friends gained weight once they moved to the states. It's just the portion sizes. Because in France the food is high calorie too - lots of bread and butter (omg but the bread yum) and cream sauces. Belgium has high cal food. German food just straight up sucks. Spanish food is also high calorie.
But honestly when I go to Europe (and I have family there too) everyone really just walks a lot more and eats smaller portions0 -
I have moved across the country 3 times and gained with each move. Part from tasting all the new local specialties. Part from missing the comfort of home. Relocating is hard.0
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i think the major culprits are portion sizes and lack of daily physical activity.
I spent a lot of time in Japan with hubby (who was born there) and everyone walks everywhere (or walks to the trains) and portions are much smaller and generally more balanced.
The US is a prosperous Nation, which results in (essentially) gluttony and sloth (overeating and not moving)0 -
enkiemonkey wrote: »Hahahhaha maybe. All my euro friends gained weight once they moved to the states. It's just the portion sizes. Because in France the food is high calorie too - lots of bread and butter (omg but the bread yum) and cream sauces. Belgium has high cal food. German food just straight up sucks. Spanish food is also high calorie.
But honestly when I go to Europe (and I have family there too) everyone really just walks a lot more and eats smaller portions
Yeah it's what I'm thinking too. My diet was pretty awful in France and I still managed to gain a lot of weight when I moved here.0 -
I'm going to Europe for a couple of weeks at the end of January 2016 so I am expecting to lose some weight.
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And that's a good thing. My face swells around dogs and who knows if it will be my throat next. (Yes I take daily meds, they don't prevent it.)Kimegatron wrote: »My dog was allowed EVERYWHERE, so she always came with me. Even out to bars. We don't do that kind of thing here in MI.
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And that's a good thing. My face swells around dogs and who knows if it will be my throat next. (Yes I take daily meds, they don't prevent it.)Kimegatron wrote: »My dog was allowed EVERYWHERE, so she always came with me. Even out to bars. We don't do that kind of thing here in MI.
But maybe if you had grown up close to dogs, you wouldn't be that allergic to them now... who knows.0
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