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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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. [/quote]

Did these Europeans live in the US at some point? I don’t know any European that would mention universal healthcare as a reason for their wellbeing UNLESS they live or lived in a place where that isn’t the case.[/quote]

Visited, but not lived. The mutual American friends had left the US because of the healthcare system.

Also worth mentioning: they ate sweets, but not excessively. Nobody even mentioned anything about weight or dieting. 
Also absent from any dinnertime discussion was work. I couldn’t tell you what everyone did or used to do for a living. Nobody talked about Covid, money, or other people’s expectations. 
They also minimally discussed politics, only to make fun of Trump and the idea that Americans could elect him to serve office from jail or something like that, and they mentioned that their own governments weren’t perfect but nobody wanted a U.S.-type system.

There are things with their lifestyle that would appeal to the political left and right. As I said, the emphasis on health and well-being over work was the main reason why everyone was so energetic and healthy and happy. Healthcare, vacation time, and fewer work hours contribute to this. But the other thing was more family-oriented culture and less obsession with identity and gender. Women were happily feminine in their own way and men were happily masculine in their own way. Nobody was complaining about The Patriarchy or sexism, they also weren’t bigoted either, just normal and not in a bind about everything.

It’s a small representative size and yes I have traveled in Europe many times before, mostly before the pandemic. But this was an interesting case where multiple people, older people, from different countries shared their experiences “in the wild” not in a tourism setting. My takeaway is that American-style capitalism, private healthcare, high fructose corn syrup and processed foods, and stress are more detrimental to our health than anything else. This is a sick country and we are doing so much wrong that it’s a complete farce to say we’re the best. 
That, and there’s this overall trend in raising age of retirement, especially the actual age where retirement is feasible for most people, and lowering life expectancy, it’s like the nest egg and golden years are all a scam to make you work harder and enjoy life less. [/quote]

The work focus is also extreme in this area.  In Colorado no one talks about work at dinner or socially.  Come to think of it, they all look better than people here too.[/quote]

CO is about mountain people.  They talk about their outdoorsy mountain times.  It's cool for about 10 min if you are not into it. I've been there.  There was a sporty crowd that literally talked about their marathon training, daily runs and diff trails they take, and their dogs.  It bored me to tears  :lol: [/quote]

You’ll have all the time in the world to sit in front of a computer, TV, or a tablet when you are 75 years old and can’t move well enough to run a marathon, go for a daily run, check out a trail, or be outside with your dog. By that point, you might regret actually being active when you could do so.

[/quote]

People in Colorado don't stop at 75.  The grandparents all look great.  Incredibly healthy lifestyle.  [/quote]

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