S/O 25% obese-What do people in other countries eat?

[Tabrett]

How and what do people in other countries eat? Do they eat salads and raw veggies all the time? My dh works out everyday and doesn't eat too much and is still over weight. My teen dd takes dance at school and doesn't over eat and is over weight. What is the difference in other countries. Are people constantly hungry in other countries and just ignore their hunger?

 

I just can't pin point what is causing the weight gain in America compared to other countries. I know they say it is fast food and lack of exercise, but I don't know if I believe that is the real cause.

 

Anybody move to a different country and lost weight without trying? What was different in you diet/lifestyle?

[emubird]

I have noticed that when I've tried to avoid corn (food allergies) that I tend to lose weight. It may just be that I eat a lot less pre-prepared food, or eat out less. Or maybe there's something about corn.

 

I still ate a ton of junk, but I had to make it all myself. Maybe cooking burns a lot of calories?

[Tabrett]

Just thought of something else-

 

American obesity be from our over consumption of corn and wheat products?

 

Do other countries eat as much corn as America does?

 

I know Mexico eats a much corn as America and they have an over weight problem too.

 

I wonder if it is corn that causes the problem?

[Pata]

Portions are alot smaller here, about 1/2 to 1/3 of what they are in the US. I don't think that it's necessarily what they eat, just that they eat less of it. It may also be because nothing comes prepackaged, it's all cooked from scratch with whole ingredients. Plus, people don't snack as much or if they do snack it's alot healthier than the typical US snacks (such as fruit or noodles). Also, people walk alot more. I easily walk a mile a day just doing the normal everyday stuff, where as when I'm back in the US, people look at me like I have three heads if I want to walk to the grocery store which is only 1/4 down the road :). Those are just a few of the things I notice.

[mirth]

What The World Eats

 

Interesting book. Families pose for a photo with all the food they expect to eat in a typical week. Lot of statistics too and moving captions such as a thin family could not answer the question of what their "favorite" food is.

[Tabrett]

I have noticed that when I've tried to avoid corn (food allergies) that I tend to lose weight. It may just be that I eat a lot less pre-prepared food, or eat out less. Or maybe there's something about corn.

 

I still ate a ton of junk, but I had to make it all myself. Maybe cooking burns a lot of calories?

 

That is funny. I just posted a question about corn.

 

I wonder if the hive would be interested in a no-corn diet experiment for a few weeks to see the results?

[Pata]

Just thought of something else-

 

American obesity be from our over consumption of corn and wheat products?

 

Do other countries eat as much corn as America does?

 

I know Mexico eats a much corn as America and they have an over weight problem too.

 

I wonder if it is corn that causes the problem?

 

Hmm, never thought about it that way, but it is true. There is very little corn here.

[Jackie in NE]

In my very limited experience traveling in France, I noticed they ate a lot more fresh food. Also, the portions were so much smaller. They didn't snack. They ate 3 balanced meals. The noon and evening meal included a broth-based soup, and/or a green salad. Or sometimes just a vegetable salad (not necessarily leafy greens). I never saw anything fried. There were lots of sauces, but they were light sauces, not your "brown gravy" type. They drank a lot more water.

 

I ate everything I wanted while I was there, and maintained a very healthy weight. (I was also young then).

 

I was also raised on this type of diet, and have always had a healthy weight. We never ate fast food. We always cooked at home, and long meals with all of us sitting together discussing our day was the norm. My dm always said that eating slowly was the key to not over-eating. And of course, NOT eating in front of the TV.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Our wealth allows us to eat a lot more food than most other countries. Wealth allows fast food, junk food, large portions, a full grocery cart, a full pantry and a full frig. Even the poor in America are wealthy compared to other countries. The homeless in America can go to a soup kitchen or shelter or a church for food.

 

Many people in other countries will eat a piece of bread and cup of tea for breakfast, a good chance of NO lunch, and then have rice and beans/veggies for supper.

 

Even in weathier western nations people just eat differently. The food is quality not quantity. And homecooking is eaten more than fast food.

 

Just my opinion.

Pam

[Jackie in NE]

When my French relatives visited us, they could not bring themselves to eat corn. Their mindset was "Corn is what we feed to the pigs. It is not people food!"

Wheat, they were fine with. Think French sourdough..... Mmmmmm.

[PinkInTheBlue]

Everytime we travel to another country I'm surprised again by the huge difference between serving sizes in restaurants. It's drastic. I would agree with what someone else said that in other countries the servings are easily 2/3 or at least 1/2 of what we eat here. It's shocking.

[Kate in Arabia]

Here there has been a sudden change in lifestyle, like in my lifetime, because of the discovery of oil. They have had a serious increase in obesity and related problems.

 

Most of this is attributed to diet -- not just the import of fast food, but wealth means you can buy more food and have more regular access to things like meat, which traditionally would have been eaten less frequently than, say, fish. Also local dishes that may have been eaten infrequently for special occasions and are high in oil/fat can and are now eaten much more frequently. (For an American equivalent, I always think of Coca Cola which originally was like a special treat, but now is consumed daily by a lot of people.)

 

This is combined with a drastic drop in labor for locals, with their wealth they can now bring in foreign workers to handle the labor-intensive duties; not just jobs like construction and farming, but even household chores. In the States I think we don't have the domestic help as much, but we have a lot of innovations that make some daily chores less physically demanding.

[Tabrett]

Here there has been a sudden change in lifestyle, like in my lifetime, because of the discovery of oil. They have had a serious increase in obesity and related problems.

 

Most of this is attributed to diet -- not just the import of fast food, but wealth means you can buy more food and have more regular access to things like meat, which traditionally would have been eaten less frequently than, say, fish. Also local dishes that may have been eaten infrequently for special occasions and are high in oil/fat can and are now eaten much more frequently. (For an American equivalent, I always think of Coca Cola which originally was like a special treat, but now is consumed daily by a lot of people.)

 

This is combined with a drastic drop in labor for locals, with their wealth they can now bring in foreign workers to handle the labor-intensive duties; not just jobs like construction and farming, but even household chores. In the States I think we don't have the domestic help as much, but we have a lot of innovations that make some daily chores less physically demanding.

What percentage of the population do you think is obese where you live?

Edited March 19, 2010 by Tabrett

[LauraGB]

If the serving sizes are smaller and they only really eat 3x a day, is the suggested caloric intake different, too? I think for women here it is 2000 (?) and men 2200. I doubt I eat that many calories in a day, but I don't think I could sit down and eat 600+ calories in a sitting on a regular basis, either. Also, does the gov't stress particular diets and food pyramids and milk and the other white meat like ours does?

[Kate in Arabia]

Is there an obesity problem where you are living? Just curious.

Surprisingly, yes!

 

Figures from the World Health Organisation have revealed the extent of the UAE’s obesity epidemic.

 

Some 39.9 per cent of women in the Emirates are obese, the seventh highest proportion in the world. Among men, 25.6 per cent were classified as obese, the ninth highest figure.

 

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090606/NATIONAL/706059768/1105/YOURVIEW

[momofkhm]

He says that the French diet is the way to go. Americans are fat because we try not to eat fat. We try this diet and that diet and another diet which leave out groups of foods but what we really need to do is eat less. Eat slower and we will eat less. Eat fat and we will eat less. Calories in have to be less than calories out to lose weight. There's more to it of course but that's the basics.

 

He went to France to live for 2 years and lost weight. His mom was there to help them settle in with the kids. She went from a size 12 going on 14 to a 6 in that time. He doesn't say how long that took though.

 

He also does look briefly at other traditional diets. He says that we Americans eat far more red meat than others. The other traditional diets also include a glass of wine a day.

 

Anyway, I'm trying it. We'll see how it goes. I'm not "obese", but according to the charts I am "overweight". I need to lose about 5-7 pounds to be "normal" range.

 

Find the book here. OH, and a couple of the reviews on the page says, I did get it from the library.

[Cammie]

Portion size is drastically different here! Even things like McD's happy meals - here they don't include the fries! Sodas are smaller, coffee drinks are smaller. Plus not as much snacking. Lots of veggies - but not raw and not salads. Here the main health concern is diabeties. It is a major health crises in India.

[Sandra in FL]

Most meals had rice, greens and a little meat washed down with green tea. We never ate out, didn't eat between meals and had a lot of fruit picked off our trees. My only downfall was that I drank a lot of Coke as we had a store that sold them and it was so, so hot in Jamaica (no a/c). I ate as much as I could and at 5' 3" couldn't go over 99 lbs. until I started working (sitting behind a desk) in my early 20s.

 

I think it's a combination of lack of exercise, quality and quantity of food. I do believe that rice is better (more alkaline/less acidic) than wheat/corn.

 

Blessings,

Sandra

[hornblower]

I think it's a combination of two things:

 

A) I think caloric requirements are much lower than what people think.

 

if you go here for example, http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calorie-needs-women.htm there's a calculator for calorie needs. I'm around 1880. A subset of this is that people are way more sedentary than they think. I think the vast majority of people in NA are in the sedentary or light category)

 

I knew someone who was a calorie counter & I think she was a victim of 'rounding up' b/e I remember her saying she needed 'about' 2000, and so she could have 10 items/day, with each around 200 cal. But I'm wondering how many of those items were 5 or 10 or even 20% over 200 cal. It will quickly ratchet up. My weight is creeping up & I suspect I'm just eating a few % too much all the time.

 

Esp when you consider that

 

Big Mac 540

Large Fries 500

Large cola 310

 

for a total of 1350.

 

& I'd feel jipped with a meal like this. Where's my dessert? :)

 

Maybe that morning I'd have had a tall starbucks latte, with only 2% milk because I'm trying to eat well? That's 150 cal.

 

I only have 330 calories for the rest of my food that day!!!

All I've had was two drinks, fries and a burger!

 

B) As I just showed above, it is just waaay too easy to consume a lot of calories very fast.

 

 

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_facts.html

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/nutrition?drink=all

[Mabelen]

Portion size is drastically different here! Even things like McD's happy meals - here they don't include the fries! Sodas are smaller, coffee drinks are smaller. Plus not as much snacking. Lots of veggies - but not raw and not salads. Here the main health concern is diabeties. It is a major health crises in India.

 

But the diabetes issue in India is in large part because they have that genetic predisposition to the disease. My dh is South Asian and diabetes runs in his family, no matter what their diet, but that means, of course that they have to watch what they eat if they want to stay healthy...

[Mabelen]

I grew up in Spain and I also lived in the UK for 12 years. Some of the biggest differences are the fact that people walk to places so you use up more energy without even trying, portion size, the US portions are just huge, and drinking water instead of sodas or juice.

 

Thinking back my family usually ate home cooked meals, plenty of fruits, nuts and seeds, and drank water. Sodas were a treat for special celebrations or when going out. I still had a lot of junk in the form of sweets, candy, etc, but I guess it wasn't part of my normal diet, it was more of a weekend kind of treat.

 

Growing up we didn't have an obesity problem in Spain, now however as in most other European countries, obesity especially among youngsters is becoming an increasing problem there too.

[Jill]

As Mabelen has outlined, there are probably a few contributing factors. Our unjustified fear of dietary fats, overconsumption of sugar, lack of fermented foods (a la sourdough, yogurt, sauerkraut) giving us lack of probiotics, less exercise, over processed foods, and probably a couple other things not mentioned yet that are other environmental contributors. (BPAs anyone? see mice made fat from bpa here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3411/02-tale-flash.html )

Just as with diet in general, I don't think one size fits all and for different people a different balance of these things probably means different things.

[Laura Corin]

I won't talk about the UK, because we are heading the same way as the US. China eats quite differently.

 

Very few people snack between meals - most people drink green tea (unsweetened and with no milk) all day

 

Sweets/candies are put out for guests, but most people don't eat them otherwise

 

A meal consists of a variety of dishes, most of them containing vegetables, plus a plain starch - rice, noodles or steamed savoury buns

 

Very little dairy produce is consumed and desserts are rare. Meals end with fruit if anything sweet is served.

 

There are some problems occurring as people walk less and eat more meat, but the traditional diet seems to keep people in shape.

 

Laura

[joannqn]

How and what do people in other countries eat? Do they eat salads and raw veggies all the time? My dh works out everyday and doesn't eat too much and is still over weight. My teen dd takes dance at school and doesn't over eat and is over weight. What is the difference in other countries. Are people constantly hungry in other countries and just ignore their hunger?

 

I just can't pin point what is causing the weight gain in America compared to other countries. I know they say it is fast food and lack of exercise, but I don't know if I believe that is the real cause.

 

Anybody move to a different country and lost weight without trying? What was different in you diet/lifestyle?

 

 

Watch Food Inc. Once you know what we Americans eat (and I don't think it qualifies as "food"), you'll understand why we are all overweight. :ack2:

 

I watched it last night on Netflix instant view and expect to be losing weight shortly...in part because we'll have to cut our meat consumption drastically to afford real food. I'm hoping the increased nutrition found in real food will decrease our hunger, as well. It seems logical to me.

[Mejane]

Regarding corn, high fructose corn syrup is said to turn off the appestat, which controls binge-eating. Maybe corn itself has a similar effect on some people?

[cillakat]

How and what do people in other countries eat? Do they eat salads and raw veggies all the time? Are people constantly hungry in other countries and just ignore their hunger?

 

 

I think they just get used to eating *a lot* a lot less.

 

When I'm in Italy with my SIL, I'm always struck by how little they actually eat there....everyone. There are three meals. Pasta is weighed before it's prepared. There aren't leftovers b/c they prepare what is needed for the meal. Most lunches are vegetables and a small small amount of pasta or bean or animal protein. Breakfast? What breakfast? A small peice of bread (1/2 of a normal american peice) and a glass of milk or coffee....and 1/2 oz or so of cheese. They just get used to eating like that.

 

Ice cream for a treat = is about 1/4c typically. Coffee cups are 5 oz. No one - no one - ever eats or drinks while walking around. Never. Ever. Not kids, not babies, not even fussy toddlers.

 

And at least in Florence, it's pretty rare to see an overweight Italian.

 

Oh, and they walk. Everywhere. The neices walk up and down 80 stairs at least once a day - sometimes more. They walk to the store with mom or dad. They walk to school. They walk home from school. They walk to the pediatrician. Everyone easily walks 3 miles a day and likely more on many days. Once the new baby came, the older one (2) mostly walked. Everywhere.

 

It was eye opening.

 

Katherine

[Mrs Mungo]

How and what do people in other countries eat? Do they eat salads and raw veggies all the time? My dh works out everyday and doesn't eat too much and is still over weight. My teen dd takes dance at school and doesn't over eat and is over weight. What is the difference in other countries. Are people constantly hungry in other countries and just ignore their hunger?

 

I just can't pin point what is causing the weight gain in America compared to other countries. I know they say it is fast food and lack of exercise, but I don't know if I believe that is the real cause.

 

Anybody move to a different country and lost weight without trying? What was different in you diet/lifestyle?

 

I think there are two main differences.

 

1. How we eat. In many other countries restaurants are not open all the time, they are only open at lunchtime and at dinner time. Also, in many other countries they generally eat a small breakfast-a roll, a slice of cheese, some fruit, maybe granola. They eat a big lunch and then a small dinner. They have small refrigerators that hold enough food for a couple of days. For these reasons, fresh food is the norm.

 

2. The amount of walking you do. Walking is required in most other countries. You do not see parking lots for every store. The center of town has a pedestrian area with all of the shops, a farmer's market, etc. You have to walk there and tote your purchases home.

[Snickerdoodle]

*

[NorthwestMom]

What The World Eats

 

Interesting book. Families pose for a photo with all the food they expect to eat in a typical week. Lot of statistics too and moving captions such as a thin family could not answer the question of what their "favorite" food is.

 

 

We read that last year and loved it. Very interesting!

[ElizabethB]

I think there are two main differences.

 

1. How we eat. In many other countries restaurants are not open all the time, they are only open at lunchtime and at dinner time. Also, in many other countries they generally eat a small breakfast-a roll, a slice of cheese, some fruit, maybe granola. They eat a big lunch and then a small dinner. They have small refrigerators that hold enough food for a couple of days. For these reasons, fresh food is the norm.

 

2. The amount of walking you do. Walking is required in most other countries. You do not see parking lots for every store. The center of town has a pedestrian area with all of the shops, a farmer's market, etc. You have to walk there and tote your purchases home.

:iagree:

 

When we lived in Germany, we could walk to the grocery store and the nearby restaurants in our little town.

 

Also, the meat was different in the local store, you could tell it was fresh and tasted closer to the game meats I now have to eat for my allergies than American meat.

 

The Germans eat a lot of fried foods, and some of them are stocky, but they walk a lot, and you don't see many that are rolly polly fat, the ones that are overweight are more stout/stocky.

 

We loved the German salads and also the schnitzel!

 

Also, the German desserts were very low in sugar. French desserts had enough sugar content to make them yummy, German desserts except ice cream weren't that tasty to me.

[Tap]

We are a relatively thin family in the US. My sisters are not thin. I know that a big difference for us is that my family eats whole foods and we don't try to cheat with Diet, low fat or overly processed items.

 

I find that if I have items that are altered to contain less calories/fat, I eat more because I am not satiated when I am done.

 

We eat a lot of vegetables, buy local farm raised beef, use only real butter, milk and the like. I like to use high quality spices and seasonings. Because the foods are full of flavor, we don't eat as much.

[Kate in Arabia]

Another thing I've noticed, maybe not obesity related, is how salty American desserts are. Or maybe, how non-salty non-American desserts are. I've ordered desserts here several times and been tempted to sprinkle salt on them. Also I've had dinner at friends' homes of varying nationalities other than American, and the cakes taste really low in salt to me. I should compare recipes...

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I wonder if the hive would be interested in a no-corn diet experiment for a few weeks to see the results?

 

Hmm, I don't know if I even eat corn!? Unless it's hidden in places I don't know. There's no corn in my bread. No corn in my cereals. I don't eat popcorn. I don't eat chips. I know I do eat at times stuff that has high fructose corn syrup, but I tend to avoid it.

 

Where is corn hidden?

[Mrs Mungo]

:iagree:

 

When we lived in Germany, we could walk to the grocery store and the nearby restaurants in our little town.

 

Also, the meat was different in the local store, you could tell it was fresh and tasted closer to the game meats I now have to eat for my allergies than American meat.

 

The Germans eat a lot of fried foods, and some of them are stocky, but they walk a lot, and you don't see many that are rolly polly fat, the ones that are overweight are more stout/stocky.

 

We loved the German salads and also the schnitzel!

 

Also, the German desserts were very low in sugar. French desserts had enough sugar content to make them yummy, German desserts except ice cream weren't that tasty to me.

 

I agree with all of that, especially about the desserts. American desserts are WAY more sugary than anything you would find in Europe or the Middle East.

[Snickerdoodle]

Where is corn hidden?

 

In the US corn products are in almost e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

[kmacnchs]

How and what do people in other countries eat? Do they eat salads and raw veggies all the time? My dh works out everyday and doesn't eat too much and is still over weight. My teen dd takes dance at school and doesn't over eat and is over weight. What is the difference in other countries. Are people constantly hungry in other countries and just ignore their hunger?

 

I just can't pin point what is causing the weight gain in America compared to other countries. I know they say it is fast food and lack of exercise, but I don't know if I believe that is the real cause.

 

Anybody move to a different country and lost weight without trying? What was different in you diet/lifestyle?

 

Haven't read all the posts but check out Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food (I think is the title) - a lot of the weight has to do with how much processed things we eat, the fact that we eat more seed than greens (even our animals!), the way we eat (on the go, not enjoying our meal and taking our time), and on and on...great book!

[justamouse]

I agree with all of that, especially about the desserts. American desserts are WAY more sugary than anything you would find in Europe or the Middle East.

 

Personally I love European desserts much more. I like *just enough* sweet, no so sweet there's no other flavor. Like a good Italian rice or wheat pie. Mmm.

 

Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma is also fantastic as an informative read. In that book he follows the corn and how it IS in everything. It's pretty disgusting what we allow food corporations to get away with in our country.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

In the US corn products are in almost e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

 

 

Our foods aren't that different. So apart from high fructose corn syrup, under what format would I find corn?

 

Ah! I just looked at my package of Oreos (which we rarely have in the house to start with) and it has corn starch. So that's one other source.

Edited March 19, 2010 by CleoQc

[Kate in Arabia]

American desserts are WAY more sugary than anything you would find in Europe or the Middle East.

Really? I don't know, baklava, luqmat (fried balls of dough soaked in date syrup), many desserts here are really sugary -- but then again, a serving of baklava is generally a small diamond-wedge, while the desserts I've gotten recently in the States are, like, a quarter of an entire pie for a serving, with ice cream lol.

[Snickerdoodle]

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

 

PLEASE NOTE: In addition to the items on this list not including everything that contains corn, not everything on this list will contain corn. It is that they can contain corn, and therefore may need to be outright avoided or used cautiously. Read more about this on the Corn Allergens as Ingredients page. The items identified with an asterisk * are the most common items that might not always contain or be derived from corn. Proceed with caution!

 

* Acetic acid

* Alcohol

* Alpha tocopherol

* Artificial flavorings

* Artificial sweeteners

* Ascorbates

* Ascorbic acid

* Astaxanthin

* Baking powder

* Barley malt* (generally OK, but can be contaminated)

* Bleached flour*

* Blended sugar (sugaridextrose)

* Brown sugar* (generally OK if no caramel color)

* Calcium citrate

* Calcium fumarate

* Calcium gluconate

* Calcium lactate

* Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA)

* Calcium stearate

* Calcium stearoyl lactylate

* Caramel and caramel color

* Carbonmethylcellulose sodium

* Cellulose microcrystalline

* Cellulose, methyl

* Cellulose, powdered

* Cetearyl glucoside

* Choline chloride

* Citric acid*

* Citrus cloud emulsion (CCS)

* Coco glycerides (cocoglycerides)

* Confectioners sugar

* Corn alcohol, corn gluten

* Corn extract

* Corn flour

* Corn oil, corn oil margarine

* Corn starch

* Corn sweetener, corn sugar

* Corn syrup, corn syrup solids

* Corn, popcorn, cornmeal

* Cornstarch, cornflour

* Crosscarmellose sodium

* Crystalline dextrose

* Crystalline fructose

* Cyclodextrin

* DATUM (a dough conditioner)

* Decyl glucoside

* Decyl polyglucose

* Dextrin

* Dextrose (also found in IV solutions)

* Dextrose anything (such as monohydrate or anhydrous)

* d-Gluconic acid

* Distilled white vinegar

* Drying agent

* Erythorbic acid

* Erythritol

* Ethanol

* Ethocel 20

* Ethylcellulose

* Ethylene

* Ethyl acetate

* Ethyl alcohol

* Ethyl lactate

* Ethyl maltol

* Fibersol-2

* Flavorings*

* Food starch

* Fructose*

* Fruit juice concentrate*

* Fumaric acid

* Germ/germ meal

* Gluconate

* Gluconic acid

* Glucono delta-lactone

* Gluconolactone

* Glucosamine

* Glucose*

* Glucose syrup* (also found in IV solutions)

* Glutamate

* Gluten

* Gluten feed/meal

* Glycerides

* Glycerin*

* Glycerol

* Golden syrup

* Grits

* High fructose corn syrup

* Hominy

* Honey*

* Hydrolyzed corn

* Hydrolyzed corn protein

* Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

 

 

 

* Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

* Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose pthalate (HPMCP)

* Inositol

* Invert syrup or sugar

* Iodized salt

* Lactate

* Lactic acid*

* Lauryl glucoside

* Lecithin

* Linoleic acid

* Lysine

* Magnesium fumarate

* Maize

* Malic acid

* Malonic acid

* Malt syrup from corn

* Malt, malt extract

* Maltitol

* Maltodextrin

* Maltol

* Maltose

* Mannitol

* Methyl gluceth

* Methyl glucose

* Methyl glucoside

* Methylcellulose

* Microcrystaline cellulose

* Modified cellulose gum

* Modified corn starch

* Modified food starch

* Molasses* (corn syrup may be present; know your product)

* Mono and di glycerides

* Monosodium glutamate

* MSG

* Natural flavorings*

* Olestra/Olean

* Polenta

* Polydextrose

* Polylactic acid (PLA)

* Polysorbates* (e.g. Polysorbate 80)

* Polyvinyl acetate

* Potassium citrate

* Potassium fumarate

* Potassium gluconate

* Powdered sugar

* Pregelatinized starch

* Propionic acid

* Propylene glycol*

* Propylene glycol monostearate*

* Saccharin

* Salt (iodized salt)

* Semolina (unless from wheat)

* Simethicone

* Sodium carboxymethylcellulose

* Sodium citrate

* Sodium erythorbate

* Sodium fumarate

* Sodium lactate

* Sodium starch glycolate

* Sodium stearoyl fumarate

* Sorbate

* Sorbic acid

* Sorbitan

* Sorbitan monooleate

* Sorbitan tri-oleate

* Sorbitol

* Sorghum* (not all is bad; the syrup and/or grain CAN be mixed with corn)

* Starch (any kind that's not specified)

* Stearic acid

* Stearoyls

* Sucrose

* Sugar* (not identified as cane or beet)

* Threonine

* Tocopherol (vitamin E)

* Treacle (aka golden syrup)

* Triethyl citrate

* Unmodified starch

* Vanilla, natural flavoring

* Vanilla, pure or extract

* Vanillin

* Vegetable anything that's not specific*

* Vinegar, distilled white

* Vinyl acetate

* Vitamin C* and Vitamin E*

* Vitamins*

* Xanthan gum

* Xylitol

* Yeast*

* Zea mays

* Zein

[Mrs Mungo]

Really? I don't know, baklava, luqmat (fried balls of dough soaked in date syrup), many desserts here are really sugary -- but then again, a serving of baklava is generally a small diamond-wedge, while the desserts I've gotten recently in the States are, like, a quarter of an entire pie for a serving, with ice cream lol.

 

They are sweet but they are sweetened with fruit or honey, not necessarily *sugar*. And I agree, they are served in smaller portions.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I actually ate more volume of food in Japan but it was satisfying food. Here I eat less in volume (but higher in calories) and am always unsatisfied and wanting more. I think it has to do with empty calories.

 

Now - food choices are changing in Japan and they are complaining about obesity there too. (Though I doubt it is to the level it is here.)

 

What I noticed 30 years ago in Japan was that while we had rice at every meal (even breakfast) it was a smaller portion than what is served here at the local teriyaki place. Also - we had lots of veggies and small amounts of protein with it.

 

Meat was so expensive that we did not eat as much as here. I remember the first time I was served a steak here. I started to put the plate into the middle of the table because I was positive that I was accidentally given the serving plate. My mom had to whisper to me that no, that was actually the portion just for one person, not the entire family.

 

In Japan, they eat (traditionally at least) much less dairy. And when you did have cheese or ice cream it had a much lower milkfat content. The ice cream we had there was actually what would be sold here as ice milk.

 

Most dessert in Japan is fruit. The occasional cake is sponge cake usually topped with whipped cream and fruit. It is much less sugary and sweet than what you get here. You can find candy etc. it just is eaten very sparingly.

 

We also walked everywhere. Even if you took mass transit, you walked to the bus or train stop and then walked from there to wherever you had to go to.

[Jenny in GA]

Haven't read the other responses yet.

Haven't been out of the US, either.

 

But here's what I've heard:

 

I once heard on Irish singer (from The Cranberries?) asked in an interview what was the strangest/most notable difference about the US, and she said that when you went to a restaurant and ordered a salad (or anything), she was like, "Hello? I ordered for me, not for ten people!"

 

There was some book toted on Oprah once about why French women aren't fat. The just of the book was that you should sit at a nice table with cloth napkins and flowers, and calmly and slowly enjoy your food, and not watch TV or read or check e-mail while eating. While I think this is quite true, it pissed me off when I heard that, because at the time I ate every meal with a four year old and two year old, and I wondered how in the heck that was remotely possible.

 

Where I live in metro Atlanta, it's very hard to not rely on your car. I've heard in Europe everybody walks and rides bikes. I would love to live somewhere that lends itself to that more.

 

Now off to read the other responses ...

[Crimson Wife]

One thing that I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet in this thread is how most people outside the U.S. smoke like chimneys. Cigarettes are deadly but tobacco does speed up one's metabolism. Many models and actresses here smoke as a weight control measure. :thumbdown:

 

I spent a summer in Provence as an au pair for a doctor's family. They were the only ones in town who did not smoke- AND the only ones in the village who were a bit overweight. They didn't eat more or walk less than their neighbors, the only noticeable difference was not smoking.

 

My aunt lived in Europe for decades and was thin. She moved to the U.S., quit smoking, and promptly gained 20 lbs.

[Rosie_0801]

Personally I love European desserts much more. I like *just enough* sweet, no so sweet there's no other flavor.

 

YES!! Jam tarts here have enough sugar to make your eyes twitch. I had the best jam tart ever in Poland. It tasted like, well, fruit! :svengo: Who'd have thought?

 

Rosie- who can give directions, if anyone is going to Krakow any time soon, heheh

[Mrs Mungo]

One thing that I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet in this thread is how most people outside the U.S. smoke like chimneys. Cigarettes are deadly but tobacco does speed up one's metabolism. Many models and actresses here smoke as a weight control measure. :thumbdown:

 

They also inhibit appetite. I will agree that it could be part of the issue.

[Mabelen]

One thing that I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet in this thread is how most people outside the U.S. smoke like chimneys. Cigarettes are deadly but tobacco does speed up one's metabolism. Many models and actresses here smoke as a weight control measure. :thumbdown:

 

I spent a summer in Provence as an au pair for a doctor's family. They were the only ones in town who did not smoke- AND the only ones in the village who were a bit overweight. They didn't eat more or walk less than their neighbors, the only noticeable difference was not smoking.

 

My aunt lived in Europe for decades and was thin. She moved to the U.S., quit smoking, and promptly gained 20 lbs.

 

Tobacco may inhibit appetite, but when I was growing up women in Spain did not smoke and they were still slim until later in their years when some would put on some weight.

 

I never smoked (except for a couple of try out cigarettes) and I have always been slim wherever I've lived, but I do have a fast metabolism, I can eat a lot and still stay thin even now that I am 46.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Mabelen

[Brilliant]

... Also, people walk alot more. I easily walk a mile a day just doing the normal everyday stuff, where as when I'm back in the US, people look at me like I have three heads if I want to walk to the grocery store which is only 1/4 down the road :).

 

Our last house was very close to a business area. We could walk to church, library, post office, grocery store, etc. I miss those days. :) Anyway...one time my neighbor stopped and asked if I was having car trouble because I was walking home from the bank & library. "Umm...no...I'm just walking because it's only 1/2 mile!" The idea was completely foreign to her. Although, she was very fit, and I would run into her while she was jogging for exercise! It just didn't occur to her that she could walk to the store.

[Crimson Wife]

I never smoked (except for a couple of try out cigarettes) and I have always been slim wherever I've lived, but I do have a fast metabolism.

 

:iagree:

I was talking about a general trend, however, not any given individual. Every time I go to Europe, I'm always shocked at how widespread smoking still is.

[Brilliant]

One thing that I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet in this thread is how most people outside the U.S. smoke like chimneys. Cigarettes are deadly but tobacco does speed up one's metabolism. Many models and actresses here smoke as a weight control measure. :thumbdown:

 

But a surprisingly high number - 21% - of American adults are still smokers. I don't think Americans would suddenly be thinner if more of us started smoking.