Submitted by DangerStranger138 t3_11ikt5r in nottheonion
Comments
OriginalName483 t1_jayu4yd wrote
Less sugar, less driving. That's pretty much it yeah.
guy30000 t1_jaz64ah wrote
Not so much. It's portion size. Walking a mile might burn a hundred calories. Ordering Breakfast in America you're going to get a thousand to 1500.
Ok_Helicopter4276 t1_jazevu7 wrote
Well their idea of breakfast is deli meats. So yeah skipping meals tends to cut some calories.
MarsJust t1_jazhjdi wrote
Huh?
Where are you eating deli meat for breakfast in the USA?
jortzin t1_jb0ld4r wrote
I think they are referring to Europe not the US. In Germany it's not uncommon for breakfast to consist of meat and cheeses on different kinds of rolls. Edit: rereading, it's clear they're referring to the US.
guy30000 t1_jaziwry wrote
It's even more than that. I have two meals today and still constantly feel full.
[deleted] t1_jb09eye wrote
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JoakimSpinglefarb t1_jaypvej wrote
Because European food isn't 40% added sugar by weight?
[deleted] t1_jayqiy9 wrote
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rainer_d t1_jb000lg wrote
That is increasingly the case for Europe, too.
During the pandemic, a huge number of people left the hospitality industry - and they ain’t coming back.
Psychomadeye t1_jayuru7 wrote
For me (and my family) it's because as Americans we walk around a lot in Europe when we find out something is just a 2 mile journey instead of a 20 mile journey. In addition we're there to see stuff and walk through streets in cities that aren't at all like ours. Every time I go to Europe I end up walking over a hundred miles a week.
EmptyKnowledge9314 t1_jaz3t1n wrote
WTF is this reasonably well written fact based article making references to positive contributions governments can make doing on Fox News?
carolinaindian02 t1_jaz66rm wrote
The original article is from the AP.
Tren-Frost t1_jaypu2z wrote
The real surprise is that this is from Fox News.
[deleted] t1_jayq8tj wrote
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CrJ418 t1_jayq92i wrote
Which, at this point is basically The Onion. Without the humor.
[deleted] t1_jb0fi3w wrote
This is just a wire story from AP, but still a bit surprising that someone at Fox posted it
beerbaconblowjob t1_jayt785 wrote
Haven’t you heard, being fit is now republican and being overweight is now liberal. There’s no body positivity movement on the right, and the left is has taken personal responsibility out of the equation.
GetStable t1_jayxssn wrote
Poe's Law strikes again.
sexybimbogf t1_jb0t19v wrote
the left is coming to take your treadmills 😡😡😡
prefer-to-stay-anon t1_jb2hdi4 wrote
The no personal responsibility thing is so funny to me, because articles like this show demonstrably that societal changes can create massive differences in outcomes.
Differences in food culture, walkability, having more free time where you are interacting with the world, they all make significant differences in the outcome of healthy weight.
Sure, personal responsibility does matter, I lost 50 pounds when I needed to, but on a population level, forcing systemic change is far easier than just wishing people would be better. In Europe, people get exercise through the gym of life, here, we take our car from garage to parking lot because there aren't safe and comfortable sidewalks and bike paths. That difference matters.
IgnoreIfOffended t1_jaz0byp wrote
I find the same thing happens when I travel to Europe. It isn’t all about how the food is made or the ingredients used (though that is part of it), it’s also because portion sizes are reasonable compared to the platter-sized dishes used by most American restaurants.
Moneia t1_jb0hrl0 wrote
You see that a lot in cheap UK pubs, people associate 'good value' with 'Huge portions of chips (fries)
sleepingwiththefishs t1_jayuu9p wrote
A lot more walking and bicycling in Europe too. American food is poison though, which is odd because they have access to a lot of ingredients. When it comes to food I think Americans accept a lower standard for convenience sake, it’s the convenience that lets the whole run crooked.
vibesandcrimes t1_jaz0oev wrote
Close, but the real reason is that subsidies have made unhealthy food so incredibly cheap for the consumer that we can't afford healthy food.
GrandmaPoses t1_jaz1s5o wrote
Many Americans have to accept it because either a) they can’t afford anything healthier or b) they live in a food desert and literally cannot get anything better.
umpteenth_ t1_jb0rngh wrote
You're right that "people can't afford healthy food," but not in the way you think. The less that is done to a food, the cheaper it is. That's why boneless chicken thighs are more expensive than bone-in legs, and the fried version even more so. Grains, veggies, whole fruits, etc, are much cheaper than sugared cereals, fruit juices, and prepackaged meals. The New York Times did a comparison several years ago that came to this point.
However, because less has been done to the food, you have to spend more time cooking it. And time is exactly what most low-income people don't have enough of. Time is the most costly ingredient in making healthy meals, and paradoxically, the more money you have the more time you can buy. You also have to buy smaller quantities of fresh food more frequently, rather than a large quantity of packaged or processed food that will keep for longer. Given that American cities are designed such that you can't just walk to the store to pick up what you need, but must instead drive and spend time in traffic just to go get groceries, people (especially those struggling with their finances) are incentivized to make fewer grocery trips, and thus to seek out the packaged and processed foods that allow them to do so.
boersc t1_jaz84lb wrote
The healthy part is only half the story. Portion size is at least equally as important.
LauraUnicorns t1_jb07mzn wrote
Portion size becomes irrelevant when you start eating proper food, the appetite returns to normal and it becomes increasingly unpleasant to overeat after a while. All you have to do is stop adding artificial crap, salt, sugar and high-glycaemic index fillings. It does wonders, you actually start feeling proper nausea when you eat too much.
bluethecat12 t1_jaywjlm wrote
Except in Italy. I gained weight in Italy from all the eating I was doing lol
fiya79 t1_jaz0g8b wrote
We lost in March. Lots of walking. Portions were more reasonable. Not much for breakfast.
Meals we ate out were generally about the right size to kill the hunger but not leave stuffed or have leftovers to eat again in 2 hours.
bluethecat12 t1_jaz10mo wrote
We did a lot of walking too haha. My best friend said if we didn’t gain a little bit of weight then we did Italy wrong and I have no regrets. That was some of the best food I’ve eaten in my entire life.
boersc t1_jaz8d86 wrote
For me (Dutch) , it was the same when I visited China. No fast food, lots of activities, and weightloss was enormous in just 3 weeks.
HiddenPalm t1_jayv2iu wrote
Not true. Most Colombians get fat when they move to Europe.
DangerStranger138 OP t1_jayw1fz wrote
I love the idyllic cobblestone and backstreets full of rich cultural history. I've been to England, Finland (visited fam lots in my childhood), Estonia. I love the pedestrian friendly cityscapes and efficient public transportation when sight seeing.
dvdmaven t1_jaywaku wrote
Restaurant meals tend to be smaller than in the US and more expensive.
MmmmmmmBier t1_jb0i0p8 wrote
It’s our food additives. I lived in Europe for 10 years, and when we returned, a lot of the foods we “craved” just didn’t taste good anymore. We could taste the chemicals used to process our foods. Also most meals you order in Europe come with a salad, giving you a balanced meal where here in the states you get meat and potatoes, and twice the amount you should be eating in the first place.
meat_good_old_rub t1_jazth0v wrote
Every food item isn’t enriched with high fructose corn syrup probably
Cyber_Dan t1_jaz6iik wrote
Because they walk a lot in Europe and their diets are healthier.
BroForceOne t1_jb1z78e wrote
TLDR: A trip to Europe typically involves a lot of walking.
spectre_ertceps t1_jb1eg2y wrote
The US is the only place I've been outside of Europe and it was the best food I ever had in my entire life. Everything except the milk (which tasted like melted butter and ice cream blended together) and the desserts (which tasted like warm solidified pepsi or sprite or fanta... but sweeter
ButterscotchSure6589 t1_jb02faf wrote
I spent a week each in Key West and New Orleans a few years ago, ate and drank like a king, still lost weight due to the amount of walking. Although New Orleans was full of the fattest people I have seen, all wearing incredibly tight clothes. Didn't see a single lardarse in Key West.
[deleted] t1_jb02nue wrote
I was hungry AF in Europe. The portions were so small and the options were much more limited than the US.
Noticed that immediately. A few places did alright but generally speaking I remember being hungry.
I am fit with a decent appetite. Have never been overweight.
Keregi t1_jb0kzh2 wrote
Smaller food portions and more walking/activity. It has nothing to do with food additives.
Ansible42 t1_jb1c68n wrote
Moved to Germany at 18, started drinking beer. Still lost 10 kg.
[deleted] t1_jbsdaqf wrote
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No_Lie_6694 t1_jb071t6 wrote
Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s due to activity and good. The FDA grandfathered in so much toxic items, some we put in our food or on our crops. Europe is super strict about what is allowed. Like how America’s eggs are frozen because they’re sprayed with stuff to keep them fresh longer but in Europe they’re not refrigerated.
umpteenth_ t1_jb0t62u wrote
>Like how America’s eggs are frozen because they’re sprayed with stuff to keep them fresh longer but in Europe they’re not refrigerated.
Sorry, but this is just wrong. American eggs are refrigerated because they're washed after coming out of the chicken (yay factory farming!), and washing removes the protective cuticle that keeps out bacteria from the egg. In Europe, where they don't wash the egg after it comes out of the chicken, the egg can be stored at room temperature with no problems.
StahlHund t1_jazh3q4 wrote
You'ed eat less too if you saw the food.
Opus-the-Penguin t1_jaysqog wrote
I'd bet the biggest factor is that they're more active, walking to train stations, seeing sights.