Dinner party in Europe: Americans look older, more tired, are more unhealthy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, PP above, just realized that this was a health-specific post and not a general life post. But I guess it's all related.

The universal health care discussion belongs in politics and the work one belongs in jobs.
But yes, our health care (tied to our jobs) and our jobs that we need so we can eat and not be homeless suck. I don't know OP's point in rubbing that in our faces? Thanks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure if you have a dinner party of 55+ aged Americans they would be similar. Relaxed, looking forward to retirement, focused on family, talking about travel, etc.

If you speak to, especially French, people in their late 20s-early 30s they are they have the same burdens as Americans. Work, pension age keeps rising (did you see Paris burning this summer?), access to good health care, complaining about politics.

It is more generational than anything else. In fact it is pretty amazing how similar the generations are even though their nationality is completely different.

Uh, emphatically no. At least not 55+ Americans on the East Coast. We’re still working so hard to pay insane college tuition, to fund our pension-less retirement. We’re sandwiched between college-bound kids and managing declining parents who need a high quality assisted living they cant afford and need meds they also cant afford and Medicare doesn’t cover.

Maybe we just got right- sized out of our pension-free job and still need to work but know we won’t get hired at the same salary because of rampant legal age discrimination.

We might be estranged from a sibling or two because of their illness that we euphemistically call a “mental health issue” One of our young adult kids likely suffers from this, too, and that continually gnaws at us. Their treatment has been spotty under our abysmal mental healthcare framework that has no available beds or providers — just pills

Notice that my hypothetical 55 year old isn’t herself sick or facing the consequences of a lifetime of bad lifestyle decisions. She’s buffeted on all sides by features of the American experience and it’s stress-inducing and unhealthy

It's eerie how spot-on this is for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure if you have a dinner party of 55+ aged Americans they would be similar. Relaxed, looking forward to retirement, focused on family, talking about travel, etc.

If you speak to, especially French, people in their late 20s-early 30s they are they have the same burdens as Americans. Work, pension age keeps rising (did you see Paris burning this summer?), access to good health care, complaining about politics.

It is more generational than anything else. In fact it is pretty amazing how similar the generations are even though their nationality is completely different.

I think it comes down to this—being able to stand up for your rights. America’s social safety net (or lack thereof) and its education system (or lack of system) is why we mostly have people who are working head down to make sure they bring food to the family table and keep the lights on. They don’t have time to protest.

[Anonymous]

This isn’t about politics, it’s about health. You may value economic competitiveness and military dominance but that doesn’t make the argument that American food is better, that corn syrup and chemicals are better for you and long work hours is healthier.

[Anonymous]

There may be some truth to it. I do lose weight in Europe easily. The food simply keeps me full longer. In US, I think of my next meal while I'm eating current on, but not always.
My girlfriends all look younger than I. They have never worked as hard as I did in US. They never had to have two jobs. Their 2nd job was to exercise.
It was the older generation that smoked too much. The newer one doesn't have many have stopped. They think about longevity and health a lot more than previously. They enjoy traveling and vacations and plan them a few years ahead. I'm in US, barely working right ow, but definitely not planning a vacation. Don't even feel like going home though I love it once I'm there. Sitting at home is a thing in US, not always a good thing.
Myself and my 4 EU girlfriends all have been arrested in US (all let go, "no papered"). None of my EU friends back at home have been arrested there nor visiting abroad. Does that mean, we the criminals, moved to US, or there is something about the system here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure if you have a dinner party of 55+ aged Americans they would be similar. Relaxed, looking forward to retirement, focused on family, talking about travel, etc.

If you speak to, especially French, people in their late 20s-early 30s they are they have the same burdens as Americans. Work, pension age keeps rising (did you see Paris burning this summer?), access to good health care, complaining about politics.

It is more generational than anything else. In fact it is pretty amazing how similar the generations are even though their nationality is completely different.

Yes, the lifestyle of the middle-to-upper class retiree in Europe or the US is an enviable one. They have it all: friends, walkability, plenty of money, good health, lots of time for hobbies and travel, cozy housing they bought for 35k back in 1983: they truly achieved the European / American Dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure if you have a dinner party of 55+ aged Americans they would be similar. Relaxed, looking forward to retirement, focused on family, talking about travel, etc.

If you speak to, especially French, people in their late 20s-early 30s they are they have the same burdens as Americans. Work, pension age keeps rising (did you see Paris burning this summer?), access to good health care, complaining about politics.

It is more generational than anything else. In fact it is pretty amazing how similar the generations are even though their nationality is completely different.

This.

I mean, normal people wouldn’t kvetch about stress, work, health ailments, etc. at a dinner party—especially with a mixed group. And money, weight, work, and politics are rarely polite dinner party conversations.

How everyone looks: I would expect everyone to dress up and put on their best face/hair game for a dinner party.

Having said that, I do international work and I can report that the rest of the world takes more vacation time than Americans. In fact, they seem to travel all the time and they’ve been everywhere. And they simply aren’t like the driven Type A people in the DC metro area—even the mission driven ones. But they also don’t make the same progress we do. They just don’t.

Re: healthcare - Lol. European universal healthcare isn’t playing a role in privileged people’s daily lives. You’re either stricken with debilitating health issues or not. At least in the US you can buy excellent health care and get treatment quickly.

My biggest takeaway from decades of working with colleagues and counterparts abroad and observing lifestyles: both have stressors related to cost of living but Americans seem pressed to buy more/have more. Others seem to live more simply like minimalists and invest in living (eg, travel, nice dinners, going out with friends, entertaining). American homes are dramatically bigger and have more things. Ditto for cars.

But overall, people are pretty much the same in Europe—particularly if they are the same age group and same financial demographic.

PS - Just because someone is thin and tan doesn’t mean they are healthy. You can eyeball who is on medication or in pain. Plenty of healthy looking people are taken out by cancer or a heart attack. It’s all a crapshoot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure if you have a dinner party of 55+ aged Americans they would be similar. Relaxed, looking forward to retirement, focused on family, talking about travel, etc.

If you speak to, especially French, people in their late 20s-early 30s they are they have the same burdens as Americans. Work, pension age keeps rising (did you see Paris burning this summer?), access to good health care, complaining about politics.

It is more generational than anything else. In fact it is pretty amazing how similar the generations are even though their nationality is completely different.

Yes, the lifestyle of the middle-to-upper class retiree in Europe or the US is an enviable one. They have it all: friends, walkability, plenty of money, good health, lots of time for hobbies and travel, cozy housing they bought for 35k back in 1983: they truly achieved the European / American Dream.

This.

I know a woman in her upper 50s who never had to work. Her husband recently retired and they downsized from a legit mansion to a McMansion in a walkable neighborhood that seems to be filled with youngish retirees. They also have two vacation homes and belong to a fancy country club. They look younger than their actual age: incredibly fit and tan. Minimal wrinkles.

Never needing to work certainly lends itself to the best lifestyle and overall health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These were friends of friends who live in Europe. They were French, German, Portuguese, and Swedish. Most people were 55+. They were decently well-off but not rich. Many were already retired.

Throughout the whole night, nobody compulsively looked at their phones. The only phone use was to take pictures and play music.
Not a single person was overweight.
Everyone looked 10-20 years younger. And yes one of them smoked, they all drank, they all spent time in the sun.
Everyone was vibrant and happy.
Everyone had so much energy and positivity, much more than 30-40something Americans. Nobody was tired.
Nobody complained of ailments or back problems or excessive medications.

I asked how everyone lived so well and looked so great. They said it was because they had universal healthcare, less stress, great food, and didnt feel beaten down by work throughout their lives.

America is doing it wrong.

We would all look like that too if we didn’t finance their national defense. We are paying for Big Red 1. They are paying for spas and mistresses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lose weight effortlessly whenever I visit family there, and I sleep better. When I visit, I eat far more than I do when in the US, I eat later than when in the US, I drink more, and I exercise less. Yet I lose weight.

I am convinced that RoundUp or one of the other pesticides that we allow in the US that aren’t allowed in Europe is killing off our healthy gut bacteria.

Isn’t this also the “vacation effect” (less stress), plus walking more? I’m originally from Europe, live in DC and have been in France on vacation for last three weeks and I’m pretty sure I’ve gained some weight.

I experienced this while living overseas, not on vacation. Ate everything in sight and lost weight effortlessly.

[Anonymous]

The US literally carries the majority of the world's problems on their/our backs and wallets. If I pushed all my stress off on my neighbor down the street I'm sure I would be dancing around too.

[Anonymous]

That’s a pretty small sample size there, OP…

[Anonymous]

My European relatives look younger than the Americans while under about 40/50 and then the reverse is true it’s like they’ve fallen off a cliff. It is strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lose weight effortlessly whenever I visit family there, and I sleep better. When I visit, I eat far more than I do when in the US, I eat later than when in the US, I drink more, and I exercise less. Yet I lose weight.

I am convinced that RoundUp or one of the other pesticides that we allow in the US that aren’t allowed in Europe is killing off our healthy gut bacteria.

Isn’t this also the “vacation effect” (less stress), plus walking more? I’m originally from Europe, live in DC and have been in France on vacation for last three weeks and I’m pretty sure I’ve gained some weight.

I exercise more in the US. I measure steps and calories and while I do walk more in Europe, it’s not by much. I bike commute regularly in the US (with hills) and I don’t do that at all when in Europe. So, I eat more, exercise less, yet lose weight.

As for stress, it’s visiting family, which has its own stress haha.

So you walk more, and bike less, when you go to Europe. This could easily be the difference in calorie burn since one of these exercises is weight bearing. Bike commuting hardly burns any calories, despite your "hills".

I always lose weight when I'm on vacation, go to conferences, etc, regardless of what city I travel to. It's because I am not confined to a desk for much of my day, I'm not stress eating, I sleep better, etc.

[Anonymous]

Idk I think their skin looks worse from the smoking and drinking.

Generally I think DC and NY have very well preserved 55 year olds. It’s an income thing here in the US. Americans here also use better skin products and get Botox.