People In europe eat way less veggies, drink way less water, go to the gym less, and smoke way more…

[Anonymous]

Poor quality processed foods that are literally at every corner + super sized portions+inactivity

But Americans want this. People get bent out of shape if they go out to eat and the portions aren’t huge. They feel cheated and complain. So…restaurants use cheaper crap so they can give the masses the super portions they demand

[Anonymous]

Antidepressants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poor quality processed foods that are literally at every corner + super sized portions+inactivity

But Americans want this. People get bent out of shape if they go out to eat and the portions aren’t huge. They feel cheated and complain. So…restaurants use cheaper crap so they can give the masses the super portions they demand

This is an unfair assessment. I would love smaller portions of higher quality food but honestly I mostly see those at the fancy/weird restaurants. I have no interest in most of the fancy/weird recipes and would prefer higher quality smaller portion “normal” food. Alas, it isn’t to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poor quality processed foods that are literally at every corner + super sized portions+inactivity

But Americans want this. People get bent out of shape if they go out to eat and the portions aren’t huge. They feel cheated and complain. So…restaurants use cheaper crap so they can give the masses the super portions they demand

This is an unfair assessment. I would love smaller portions of higher quality food but honestly I mostly see those at the fancy/weird restaurants. I have no interest in most of the fancy/weird recipes and would prefer higher quality smaller portion “normal” food. Alas, it isn’t to be.

DP. I disagree with your opinion and agree with the above pp. My FIL just about loses his mind if he gets a smaller portion. He stopped going to that Black Eyed Pea BCS; they made portions slightly smaller. He goes on and on about this is even a sandwich if he doesn't get a foot long. He goes nuts if his cruise deserts are less sweet and rants about them catering to the Europe crowd. He is a fairly good representative of his generation here. My mom weighs less than he does, but he considers himself normal weight(just a sextuplets belly, nothing more than that!) My mom is in Europe, and I am European; DH and I are the only slim ones in our generation in his family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poor quality processed foods that are literally at every corner + super sized portions+inactivity

But Americans want this. People get bent out of shape if they go out to eat and the portions aren’t huge. They feel cheated and complain. So…restaurants use cheaper crap so they can give the masses the super portions they demand

This is an unfair assessment. I would love smaller portions of higher quality food but honestly I mostly see those at the fancy/weird restaurants. I have no interest in most of the fancy/weird recipes and would prefer higher quality smaller portion “normal” food. Alas, it isn’t to be.

It is fair. You are the minority. People LOVE big portions. If you spend any time reading restaurant reviews (Regular middle class places) this is very apparent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re happier and less stressed. They have universal health care.

This.

This is a huge part of it. They have better access to healthcare, almost everyone walks more, and they generally don't work such crazy hours or feel so financially or otherwise stressed out. They get more vacation and they aren't worried about paying for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans eat too much. That is it. It isn’t round up, plastics, are any other excuse.

Ridiculous. Anyone who's done any reading on this subject knows that a complex myriad of factors interact to bring about poor health outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re happier and less stressed. They have universal health care.

This.

This is a huge part of it. They have better access to healthcare, almost everyone walks more, and they generally don't work such crazy hours or feel so financially or otherwise stressed out. They get more vacation and they aren't worried about paying for college.

Is this a joke? Every family I know in Europe is just as stressed as my family here. Are you even aware of what’s going on with energy costs and inflation?

[Anonymous]

It's walking. Honestly.

They are still financially stressed and have just as many as worries as Americans. However many people do not own any cars, and live near city centers, even in small towns. It's much more compact than the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:…and are all way healthier than my mc/umc peers in the us.

What gives?

Is it literally just working less and walking more — diet, working out, hydration don’t matter?

By what measure are they healthier?

[Anonymous]

It’s food. I’m European who moved here when I was 20, my sister lives in Italy. She is skinny, eats twice as much as I do. I’ve fluctuated from obese to normal most of my life. She lives on pasta and bread. But the wheat is totally different over there. Read about it. The EU doesn’t allow what we pass as flower here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re happier and less stressed. They have universal health care.

They are waiting to get medical care so they don't know they are dying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What everyone else said. Plus the smoking keeps them thin.

And makes them healthier according to the op

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:pp also a lot of eating disorders among women, I’ve noticed at least for French and Italian women (not Europe, but this is huge in Japan, China, and Korea as well). There is more social pressure to be thin and less of a body positivity movement, so people really hardcore diet. I’ve noticed less of this for Germans and Scandinavians, but very much so for French women.

Yeah I wish more people mentioned this. Keeping thin is very much emphasized in European families. It is simply not acceptable to be fat. Whereas American families are much more concerned about eating disorders and being sensitive to their children’s feelings. If an American mother saw her child was getting chubby, she would never say so. Europeans have no zero problems say it, and harping on it.

I am not discounting all the other things people mentioned, but it’s also a no-nonsense mindset.

Yeah that mindset where it's no-nonsense about keeping thin is even more common in East Asian Countries (Japan/China/Korea).

It's been my observation that this is true for wealthy families both places but not a typical attitude. Most of the middle class Europeans I know like to eat and would never call their kids "chubby". France is really the only place where the obsession with thinness permeates the masses but even there, there are so many immigrants and multi-ethnic families that I just don't see this that much. A lot of people in Europe prefer a rounder shape. I don't know, maybe it's a hold over from being peasants when having a little meat on your bones likely made you hardier and less sickly. It's only the aristocrats and the nouveau riche who seem to care so much about being fashionably thin.

Spain too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are?

I dispute your premise.

This. Euros are less healthy.