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It is no secret to the entire world that Americans are a bunch of fat slobs. At least, that seems to be our image in general. While traveling in Europe I didn’t see a lot of fat people, but the ones I did notice always turned out to be American tourists. Natives and tourists from other areas of the world were all pretty slim. At least they weren’t noticeably overweight. It’s gotten to the point that when a fat person is spotted in Europe everyone assumes it is an American tourist.
Back home in the states, slim people in public places seem to be a minority. This is not to say that everyone in America is obese, but most people in America are overweight. The trim ones are a minority. This trend transcends income levels, so it’s not like the middle ages when only rich people could afford to get fat. Quite the contrary - it seems that these days the less expensive food is the culprit for unwanted weight gain.
The 2004 movie Super Size Me was a humorous documentary which depicted the adventures of a person who committed to only eating at McDonalds for an entire month. He wasn’t restricted to greasy burgers on this quest, and in fact opted for grilled chicken sandwiches and the salads on the menu regularly. However whenever he was asked if he wanted to super size his meal he always had to say yes as part of the experiment. The results were not pretty. Not only did he gain an incredible amount of weight, but his doctor about went through the roof when reading the results of his blood test at the end of the month. Cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, all the important stuff had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Fast food is inexpensive food. Apparently fast food makes you fat, even while attempting to stay on the good side of the menu. So is being overweight and unhealthy now the plight of the poor? Unfortunately that simple hypothesis doesn’t go very far. Middle and upper-middle income America are just as overweight as the lower-income class. Of course, fast food restaurants are not restricted to those on the lower end of the income scale. They are on every corner and are frequented by every facet of society. Even Hummer limousines can regularly be seen parked in front of Taco Bell where I live.
This brings up another point. In Europe, there are McDonalds everywhere. They are usually pretty busy inside. And yet Europeans are not fat. Moreover, most of the people inside the McDonalds in Europe are not fat (except for the few American tourists that are inexplicably wasting their vacation not dining on wonderful local fare). So one cannot conclude that the mere existence of fast food joints is the culprit for being overweight and unhealthy.
Papa Riah almost never eats fast food. It’s garbage. I don’t waste my precious minutes on this earth eating garbage. Yet I do struggle with my weight now and again, even though I jog at least a mile every day and eat healthy more than 75% of the time. (My problem is my affinity for good ale.)
You know who loves to eat? Asians. Man those folks can really put the food away at dinner time. But they are all thin as a rail. Now how do you explain that? Perhaps heredity plays a part, but I think you have to take a serious look at what they are eating. Steamed rice, raw fish, and sautéed meats and vegetables. Lots of lean meats and only a little of the fatty stuff.
It’s time to draw a conclusion. The answer is obvious: Americans are obese because we are gluttons. We are gluttons for anything that tastes good to us. And what tastes good to us is fatty, flavorful food. Even food that otherwise would be healthy is cooked in a way that turns it into fatty food. We are not satisfied with a reasonable size portion; we must eat until we feel full. And by that time, of course, we have over-eaten.
The drug companies in America depend on us. Indigestion drugs are such a huge business here it’s incredible. The antacid aisle of the drug stores and supermarkets are so big that some stores need two aisles for them. That really tells you something.
It’s not our fault! We are raised this way! If we don’t feel full after meal time we feel ripped off. And one thing Americans will not put up with is being ripped off.
Papa Riah
Technorati Tags: health, overweight, society
By admin
Picture yourself walking down a street surrounded by a dozen other pedestrians moving in both directions when suddenly a wind full of money blows through. Bills in the air, arriving in the wind, landing on the street and blowing by at head-level. We’re talking tens and twenties, with a few fifties and hundreds here and there. How are you going to act? How to you expect the random strangers around you to act? What if this was all staged for a television show like Candid Camera? When the television show airs, how are you going to feel about the way you acted verses the way all the strangers around you acted?
This would be an excellent character test. Now I’m not suggesting that to pass this test you should be refusing to grab any bills that come your way, or that you should try and start preaching a sermon to everyone around you or something. Quite the contrary, I think that accepting the blessings which are bestowed upon you (along with being thankful for them) is quite healthy. But I’m wondering just how vigorous you would be in accepting this particular blessing.
Would you be content to grab the bills which were blowing into your immediate airspace, and bending down to pick up the few which were landing right in front of your feet? Do you picture a happy, giddy little crowd of people laughing in gay wonderment at the dream-like phenomenon which has materialized? Or would you be running around frantically attempting to grab everything you possibly could, stuffing as much as possible in your pockets, including the $100 bills which were landing right in front of another person? Do you picture a rugby-like scene with people being pushed around, knocked out of the way, while the fastest and strongest take the majority of the booty?
How you would react to this situation says a lot about your character. And truth be told, sadly, the percentage of people in society who would pass this character test are a minority. With a dozen people selected at random to experience this unique event, you can safely bet that there would be a couple who would push an old lady out of her walker to grab a c-note that she was leaning towards, even with twenties flying in all around them in the wind. What should be a happy, gleeful event for all would likely turn into a stressful sporting event as most participants attempt to maximize their financial gain (and thereby minimize that of everyone around them).
Something like that happening should be a blessing upon all who are involved. If you are there, then it’s a blessing for you too. Reach out and grab what is blown to you. Look around and laugh with the others at the amazing storybook scenario unfolding. But running and grabbing and hoarding like some kind of animal is very uncouth.
If by some chance it were staged by a television show, most likely the ones who exhibited the most deplorable behavior would be the ones most proud of themselves. And that’s the thing which really speaks the most about the sad condition of our society.
Papa Riah
Technorati Tags: character, Culture, ethics, money
By admin
Boston is a very historic American city. Every year millions of tourists, some from international locations, visit this famous venue. Unfortunately, some of them end up getting more than they bargained for. If visits to the emergency room are not part of your itinerary while visiting the east coast, then you should plan accordingly. You can’t just walk around Boston (like you can everywhere else in the world) and expect to be treated with common courtesy. As a matter of fact, mingling with the natives puts you in serious danger of physical harm here.
It probably sounds like I am exaggerating. I mean, Boston is a popular tourist destination. You got the Maine lobster, the clam chowder, the green monster, and all that American Revolution history. If it were dangerous, certainly you would know about it by now. Right?
Not necessarily. Boston is actually a dangerous place for normal human beings. Why haven’t you been warned about this? Perhaps it’s because those of us who have experienced first-hand just how dangerous of a place it really is are a bit embarrassed to admit it. Getting punched in the face is not something you normally brag about when recounting your vacation details to your friends. But that is exactly what is going to happen if you visit Boston and attempt to mingle with the locals.
You see, Boston is populated by people of Irish decent. This particular heritage involves a lot of foolish pride. Most of that pride can only be validated by fighting. Irish folk love to fist-fight, and that stereotype is not exaggerated when you see television shows full of Irish folk beating each other half to death. The doctors in Boston love it.
If you avoid the locals when in Boston you will probably be OK. This means going directly to your hotel room after dinner. Do not stay out late. Do not engage local residents in any kind of conversation whatsoever. If you do, they will see it as a wonderful opportunity to put a fist into your mouth, removing a few important teeth in the process. Don’t think this can’t happen. Boston residents are just looking for the opportunity to do that to you.
If you do decide to risk visiting a sports bar, act like a Red Sox fan. Try to dress like one as well. If somebody asks you if you like the Yankees, be ready to profess your internal burning hate for that organization. If you are not believable, you risk a very dangerous physical assault.
The final tip I want to give you has to do with driving in Boston. Merging doesn’t work here like it does in other places. The first people to clue you in on this will be the nice folks at the rent-a-car counter. They will tell you to basically commit to wrecking their car, otherwise you will never be able to merge into another lane. The drivers in this city can smell fear, and courtesy is not in their vocabulary. You have to stick you nose in between the two cars and force your way in. That’s the only way they will think you are a local and allow you to merge.
If you must visit this city, please take my above advice seriously.
Papa Riah
Technorati Tags: boston, travel
It is no secret to the entire world that Americans are a bunch of fat slobs. At least, that seems to be our image in general. While traveling in Europe I didn’t see a lot of fat people, but the ones I did notice always turned out to be American tourists. Natives and tourists from other areas of the world were all pretty slim. At least they weren’t noticeably overweight. It’s gotten to the point that when a fat person is spotted in Europe everyone assumes it is an American tourist.