What is the cost like in Japan? I had a kid from Germany who couldn't get over how cheap the food at McDonald's was here. He was fairly well off, and according to him, the McDonald's in Germany was cost prohibitive AND here you got x number of extra nuggets with an order. He went all the time.

I have been thinking it's largely metabolic damage from multiple lifestyle differences, not the least of which involves government declaration of which foods are healthy and what they allow into the food supply.

You would be surprised that even some of the poor countries more tightly regulate what is allowed in the food than you would initially think.

Obesity is a symptom of metabolic disease.  Not everyone gets all symptoms of all diseases.  Some people will be scrawny and still have a fucked metabolism.

Personally I strongly suspect corn and soy (especially oils from both) being a huge source of our issues.

Interesting. I've been in the US my entire life and I've never become fat.

I don't think I've ever seen a fat Japanese person.

Hoping there was a pic

I've traveled. And I do not feel like this is that unique to America.

When I was in Thailand, eating out was orders of magnitude cheaper than in America.
Try having a meal in America for less than $3.
Its *COMMON* in Thailand. You could easily get a large plate of Pad Thai from a street vendor for like $2.

Eating out in Thailand is so cheap, that it barely makes sense to make food at home because the difference in cost is so minimal.

Much more sugar in food. In industrialised countries in particular, it is often used to produce cheap food. In Germany, many things are far too sweet, it is the country with the second-highest sugar consumption in the world. The USA, however, has 25% more.

Bigger portions with much more calories, at least what you get at McDonalds, for example.

Less activity.

Stuff like this article makes me think "let me shadow you living life for 2 months, and I'll bet I could find out where mistakes are being made." Alas, I will never be in a situation to do that.

Some people are just lazy fat fucks. The first time I went to Texas I was shocked at how texans were even MORE obese than Californians.

I already addressed that it doesn't affect everyone in the USA.

But it even affects Japanese people who come to America quite skinny.
If it can just be "LOL, its your fault for being lazy/glutonous",... explain why someone can come here from Japan (a wealthy country) and get fat in such a short amount of time

As stated, I also knew a guy who was born and raised in America... Korean.
He ate *NOTHING* but junk food. Wendy's almost every meal. Only exercise was occasional basket ball. Exclusively drank sugary drinks. Could not stand water. He somehow managed to stay skinny.
I knew of plenty of people over the years who ate far more responsibly than he did, and were more active, and yet still much much fatter than he was.

This among other things.  I remember going to grab a burger in NYC with one my new classmates from Australia.  We went to Diane's on Columbus Ave.  His first reaction?  "Holy shit!  1/2 lb burgers?  Who the hell needs a 1/2 burger?!  No wonder Americans are fat"

The other issue is our shitty food standards and additives.  Just about anywhere else in the world has higher food quality standards.  There's a LOT of food additives that the US uses that are illegal in other/most other 1st world countries.

Back in the mid 70's, I was a Pepsi route salesman/driver.

Back then, soda was a seasonal beverage. People bought it for visits to the beach or refreshment after mowing the law.

I went gang busters in the summer, but the winter months were tough and lean. Probably sold 70% less than in summer.

That's no longer the case. 48 oz. Big Gulps seem to be routine these days, and soda is consumed at the dinner table all year long.

We have sugar in everything from white bread to spaghetti sauce. Americans are so conditioned to expect a sweet response to everything they eat, that manufacturers now do put it in everything.

No pics of THICC asian exchange students, no care.

Attached File

It's simply comes down to our cultural normalization of eating too much.

I hosted asian college students for ten years.  I don't remember any who got fat.

I've heard this as well.  I had a buddy who was about 50lbs overweight.  He got a gig working in Spain for a couple years and he talked to me about how he's eating the same amount he did at home, and none of it seemed particularly healthy but the fat was just melting off him.  

While the majority of the obese are consuming too much, I can't help but think there may be something in our food that is helping to cause this.  

That's another thing ........... Japanese "sweet" pastries by our taste are pretty bland and their mass produced domestic foods are not chock full of sugar.

In the U.S. the people food industry is similar to that of the pet food industry ............. which puts sugar in to addict the kittehs and dags.

Also folks will bike or walk A LOT. Trains and buses do go to many places, but you will still have to get around.

If you ever go to visit Japan, bring your good walking shoes. You're gonna need them.

I think the last time I was there I was doing about 5 or 6 miles a day easy, just doing some light sight seeing.

100% correct.


But it is here to stay no matter the cost because little Iowa with it's 7 electoral votes determines each parties candidate every four years.

Americans eat too much and don't get enough steps.

There's a reason the best McDonald's are the ones overseas and not here.

When I lived there the exchange rate was generally $1 to 110 yen

Attached File


I wouldn't be surprised if this makes 90% of the problem and food additives is the other 10%.

Just FYI the exchange rate is $1.00 = 144 yen right now. Perfect time for a visit :)

They drink just as much in Japan lol.

Although, the craft beer scene is not as big there, so you could be onto something. IPA's are carb heavy.

Exactly. Most stories are the reverse, of someone moving to the US and gaining a ton of weight.
I really really wish I could live in Spain for a few months. I haven't been there since I was 12.
I miss the scenery, the climate, the food.

Interestingly.
Compare a shitty ass American/Mexican Churro to a Spanish Churro.
The American/Mexican churro tastes like shit compared to a real Spanish Churro.

The Am/Mex Churro is *COATED* with sugar and cinnamon. It just tastes like you're biting into a lump of sugar/cinnamon... and you can barely taste the fried dough.
The Spanish Churro has a light dusting of sugar on it. You're supposed to enjoy the fried pastry, with a light note of sweetness. There is a complexity to it.

Goes *VERY* well with Spanish Hot Chocolate. Which is to die for.
I honestly think if I were to start a genuine, legit Spanish Churro stand, that serves Spanish style hot chocolate... I'd make bank here in AZ. Churros here taste like shit.

A lot of people seem to shit on fried food. But Americans have always eaten fried foods. I think a lot of posters here have made a good point of talking about how bad sugar is.
Frankly, I think something should be done about it. Not sure what...

Perhaps ending Corn subsidies so that there isn't as much HCFS?
I suggested EBT banning products that have been "Sugarflated" from purchase with EBT. Frankly, I think people on EBT should be forced to only buy healthy food. Sorry, but if we're going to pay for your food, it better be good for you. Why the *FUCK* should the government pay for food that is going to make you fat, and thus make us have to pay even more for your medical bills?

I've been trying to figure that out since I lived in Europe. So far the only things that I can imagine/see are:

1) Portion sizes are much larger here.
2) We are more sedentary. Even if you workout hard every morning for an hour or two, a lot of people barely move for the rest of the day. People in other places tend to do a lot more walking throughout the day.
3) "Vegetable" oils. This has become/is becoming more common place in other countries, but Canola, Safflower, Soybean oil, and to a lesser extent Sunflower and Grape seed are poison.
4) We use way more junk sauces than any other country. From Ranch to ketchup, most are absolutely terrible for you. Mayo that in other countries is olive oil is mostly soybean here, even the organic and/or "avocado oil" ones contain a ton of those terrible oils too, hfcs, preservatives, etc.  
5) Our produce and products in general are junk, void of nutritional value. You have to eat more to feel satiated (when your body gets what it needs), so that means more calories. I think this is one of the important ones. Not a lot of people eat nutritious food, even if they eat their fruits and veggies. Meat is the same.
6) Way more sugar. HFCS and sugar in everything. It's ridiculous.

Alcohol consumption is pretty much the same, except I see less people drinking hard alcohol, it's more wine and beer with the occasional cocktails. I don't really know about Eastern Block Europeans and Russians, but they seem pretty skinny and apparently drink a ton of hard alcohol. Who knows on that one.

I can't pin it down though either. I would say its a combo of the above.

Personally I've cut out the "bad" oils and I notice a big difference in the ease of being "lean." I have to do a lot less work to maintain a lean profile, and if I want to drop lbs and get really lean for an event or something, they come off easily. Before it would take what feels ("feels" isnt data, but whatever) like half the effort. You have to get used to taking some extra time to make your own mayo, salad dressings, etc., but for me and wifey it's made a difference.

I know at least three other people who have said the same thing- they didn't really change their lifestyle or what they ate, but all of a sudden move/live in the US and you're getting fatter.

Do we fluoridate our water more here? Evil conspiracy 101? Maybe that would be an interesting road to go down on this thread.

You've never heard of sumo?

All the things that are banned in other countries that are not allowed in their food. Those items are allowed here that’s why we have high rates of everything.

I read an article that said do United States of America is number one in being overmedicated in the entire world.

Make your own salad dressings?
Embrace Tradition, ... EEVOO and your choice of Vinegar.

Crap food....

Yeah, I do that too, but if my dinner is a Greek salad with grilled chicken or something, I want something with spices/herbs in it. It's nothing complicated, you just need to make a habit of it. Some like "Italian" or "Greek" with a lot of spices taste a lot better after a few days in the fridge. I've even been making my own Caesar. It's amazing.

Fatties rarely eat anything, just ask them.

The average American diet is garbage

Big food and big pharma as very closely tied.

Oh, oh, ozempic.

I think it's because the US is one of the only, if not the only, country that doesn't routinely treat for parasites.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3m88j/millions-of-americans-have-a-parasite-and-dont-realize-it

They walk less and eat more. It's not too hard to figure out.

The korean guy drank soda and sugary drinks excusively... and I've witnessed him eat Wendys like 2-3 times A DAY.
It doesn't take much to eat better than that.
The majority of overweight people I know, don't exclusively drink Soda and eat Fast food multiple times a day.

Hmm... "Residual Radiation from atomic bombs" _might_ be the answer.

Not because we nuked Japan twice - but because we nuked ourselves (the US) hundreds or thousands of times.

We also nuked a bunch of little Pacific atolls. And the natives of those islands tend to be fat.

On the other hand, the Russians nuked the shit out of a lot of their rural neighbors too... are those local people fat?

Oh, and Little Kim is fat - maybe he was close to North Korea's secret atomic bomb testing?  This could be the proof the US needs to attack NK!!!!!

I think OPs point was that the people who come over here don't change their lifestyle that much, yet they still get fat. Going the other way, Americans who go live abroad also don't change their lifestyle, yet they end up skinnier.

Shit food and the Industrialized farming methods that produce it.

I think our gut biome is not functioning well.

Japan relies much more heavily on public transit, and as such they walk and bike more, and their diets tend to be cleaner in general. They come here and don't adjust their caloric intake to account for changing to a more sedentary lifestyle. It's more probable that they would jump up in calories due to peer pressure from our culture. We're big social eaters. You start getting invited out to eat all the time by Americans, and get meals that average 1,000+ calories (which is pretty common at restaraunts and fast food places), and you'll balloon pretty quickly.

A basic Cheese burger meal at Mcdonalds with medium sides works out like this:
Burger-300 calories
Fries-320 calories
Coke-210 calories
total-830 calories

and that's just one meal of the day. If you start stacking on regular soda drinking and snacking in between meals like that, you're in the fast lane to obesity.

This thread makes midcap happy.

I eat a high fat diet and drink 4-5 sodas a day.

BP 116/70ish at 54 and weigh 170lbs.

Then again I am active, I don't run but stay pretty active.

Too much junk food and tic tok makes them fat.

In Japan they would fat shame them, here they are just another fat American.

Some proto Lizzo must have been patient zero in America

No, something they put in a lot of things, high fructose corn syrup. The Europeans used to make fun of fat Americans, but now we have companies on Europe putting that nasty shit in their food, so the Euros are becoming fat asses, too.

My new job has me working 12 hour days, with no break for lunch. I eat every 12 hours, and I try to make it as high protein and high fat as I  can. In the last month, there is a noticeable difference in my body shape, and I have had to cinch my belt twice.

Mmm, roasted quail street vendors. I loved the street food there.