Why so Many People in America Are Overweight

I think many Americans are overweight because of the lifestyle. When I travel to Europe, for example, I see much more skinny people, on average. I tend to lose weight myself, too, when I go there. Why? Because of several lifestyle differences.

Number One: Europeans WALK. Many of them, especially in large cities, do not own a car and therefore rely heavily on public transportation. That means the daily routine of: Leave your home -> WALK to the bus stop -> Ride the bus, get off, WALK to the subway station -> Ride to your destination, get off, WALK to your office. You've got at least forty minutes of walking right there, and often more. Then in the evening, the process is repeated the other way around as they go home from work, plus there can be all kinds of detours - shopping, meetings with friends, entertainment. I would say that an average European gets two or three hours of walking a day.

Number Two: Europeans EAT LESS, for the most part. Some of the food might be just as unhealthy as what we Americans have here, but the portions are significantly smaller. They even have smaller plates! Which, of course, leads to smaller servings, and you know what? I do not feel hungry eating them. Usually, it is just enough. If I want more, I can ask for more, and it will probably still be less than one "regular" plate here.

So here you have it: people in Europe stay in better shape because they spend more energy through physical activity and consume less calories. While the situation with public transportation here in America is different and probably will not change (we are not going to give up our cars, and the whole country is built around driving), I am sure we could reduce our food intake, if we want to, and think of some ways to be more physically active. Daily walk is a good habit to acquire!