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I believe that you are correct. Our lifestyles don't encourage activity. We look at walking as an event for exercise rather than for pleasure or transportation. I've been trying to use my bicycle more as just daily transportation for trips and work. I'm still fat, but that's not the real point. The point is to make it part of a lifestyle choice that helps to contribute to health. I'm sure there are other issues to Europeans having lower body weights. You didn't say why you felt you gained the 15 pounds? was it more food? The kind of food? The car?
This is a guess, but I think we are social creatures, and our culture influences our behaviors, wants and likes subconsciously and that has an effect on everything. The ways we behave are quite similar to the way others around us in our country behave.
When I'm here in the U.S., it's SO approved of to eat outside of meals, that I do. I eat anytime. I have no specific hours for eating. In Spain, the times for eating are a bit more specific and eating outside of meals is not too prevalent. Here in the U.S. it's also seen as okay with everyone for people to eat fast food. Not so much in Spain. Also, here in the U.S., I'm so busy that I'm always rushed compared to when I live in Europe, so my whole day consists of getting things done until I can get in bed. In Spain, I have ample time for leisure with friends, always with friends, every day. The influence of seeing friends every day kinda centers me and I don't go nuts with food.
In Spain, people feel kinda sorry for you and consider that you will be unhealthy if you don't get "proper meals." lol In fact, when I first moved there, I had friends who brought over food, and invited me over almost daily because my times for eating and choices of food were so insane and off the wall.
In Spain, if you eat a lot of fast food, people will wonder why, and not understand at all.
In Spain, people don't stuff themselves with delicious trashy crap, like Milky Ways.
Also, there's a difference because of how social Spain is vs. the U.S. Here, I can easily sit by myself glued to the TV and go through a LOT of ice cream all by myself (LOTS!!!) In Spain in the summer, ice cream is not something you automatically keep in your freezer and have all the times you want all by yourself. Ice cream is something you do with people, not by yourself, and you have 1 cone, not half a gallon by yourself in front of the TV.
People don't generally go on diets in Spain, in fact, they eat a lot in their meals, and don't eat diet foods, but because they eat more regularly, more often with groups of others (which tends to result in a more normal way of eating than when a person is isolated and eating), don't eat much fast food, eat less in the way of sugared products, and walk, walk, walk, walk all day long to the market, to the metro, to the doctor, to the dentist, to the paper supplies shop, to the pharmacy, to friends' homes, next door to neighbors', etc. etc. etc., it makes a huge difference. No gym membership, but I move all day long and feel healthier.
I think the stress and isolation here causes us to eat, the lack of sidewalks, the lack of dense community surrounding us here, and the fact that we don't use our legs much here means we don't walk. And even if we walk, there's nothing to see!!! Just trees and houses, trees and houses, and more trees and houses. In Spain, walking means you walk to get somewhere, not merely to use up calories, you pass people walking daily, run into people you know walking daily, you walk past all kinds shops with interesting windows to look at with products, etc. Also, the fact that we're not a community-village sort of country in the U.S., and have off hours (this is a 24 hour country, while Spain isn't for example) means we're all somewhat off kilter here physically and emotionally, and that's why I think to maintain a normal weight people here have to fight really hard, work out, be watching their weight and trying diets, etc. Here, I belong to a gym and have to do treadmills, lift weights, yada yada, yada, just to avoid blowing up into a gigantic ball of a woman.
Has anybody mentioned how sleep disturbance and insomnia can cause obesity? The hormones we produce during sleep help calm all systems and restore our cells. Studies have shown definite causation between insomnia and obesity. I was 5'10" and weighed 119 when I graduated from high school and I kept around 125 up until I was 27. No change in eating or exercise really except I sat at a desk most of the time. Then at 27 I went back to college while working full time.
I had night classes and was wound up tight and it was only after class that I was able to eat an evening meal. That is when my insomnia and weight problems started. It was so gradual at first I honestly thought the hot water in the apartment laundry room was too hot cause my clothes were shrinking!.
Then I married at 30 and for the first time since I was 18 I thought I needed to eat 3 meals a day. Before I ate whatever I wanted and whenever I felt hungry. By going to 3 meals I was eating without being hungry but it was the thing to do to start learning how to cook.
Also America has the BIGGEST refrigerators, pantries and kitchens in the world. That means we can have way too much food and not necessarily good food within easy reach. many Europeans go to the market every day for that night's food.
Americans go into shock when they look at housing in other countries. "You call this a kitchen?" "Where is the fridge?" "No pantry?" We are spoiled rotten.
Has anybody mentioned how sleep disturbance and insomnia can cause obesity? The hormones we produce during sleep help calm all systems and restore our cells. Studies have shown definite causation between insomnia and obesity. I was 5'10" and weighed 119 when I graduated from high school and I kept around 125 up until I was 27. No change in eating or exercise really except I sat at a desk most of the time. Then at 27 I went back to college while working full time.
I had night classes and was wound up tight and it was only after class that I was able to eat an evening meal. That is when my insomnia and weight problems started. It was so gradual at first I honestly thought the hot water in the apartment laundry room was too hot cause my clothes were shrinking!.
Then I married at 30 and for the first time since I was 18 I thought I needed to eat 3 meals a day. Before I ate whatever I wanted and whenever I felt hungry. By going to 3 meals I was eating without being hungry but it was the thing to do to start learning how to cook.
I'm glad you mentioned that. Lack of sleep can put on weight like CRAZY! It throws the body off kilter and the pounds go on like there's no tomorrow.
Also America has the BIGGEST refrigerators, pantries and kitchens in the world. That means we can have way too much food and not necessarily good food within easy reach. many Europeans go to the market every day for that night's food.
Americans go into shock when they look at housing in other countries. "You call this a kitchen?" "Where is the fridge?" "No pantry?" We are spoiled rotten.
Yes, that is part of the problem. If you tend to overeat, don't have a bunch of groceries in your fridge. I basically walk to the grocery store every day to get my meals.
Yes, that is part of the problem. If you tend to overeat, don't have a bunch of groceries in your fridge. I basically walk to the grocery store every day to get my meals.
Not possible or practical for a working mother with a family. Time is rushed enough that it is ridiculous to even consider stopping at the grocery store-either in the car or walking- for the evening meal. The more often you go into the grocery store the more we tend to spend. Very hard to pass up that sale item you did not go into the store for in the first place.
In this day and age, it seems like every fat person makes excuses for their weight and claim they don't eat a lot. Obesity is glamorized these days and I don't understand why. I'm not saying we should make fun of fat people, but accepting that it's okay and healthy to be overweight is not okay.
Why does every fat person claim they have a thyroid issue or can't lose weight no matter what they do? Not everyone can be stick thin, but being obese is not natural. I think a very small percentage of people are fat because of a thyroid problem or other medical condition. Most of them are fat because they just eat too much.
Very few people were fat 100 years ago, so I refuse to believe that suddenly we have all these thyroid issues that are making us fat. Do you agree or do you think I'm being too insensitive?
After reading all the posts, I'd say, yes some people are insensitive. As a cancer survivor (thyroid)
since the early 90's (btw, there are posters on this topic who do understand and have empathy),
I am not happy with the weight gain despite eating healthy. Also, before I got pregnant, I was
hyperthyroid. As a matter of fact, I would drink malts to gain weight. However, being hyperthyroid
has some serious risks as well.
The treatment at that time took me off my thyroid medication and required radioactive iodine therapy
to kill any existing tissue. The whole experience and disease had a ripple effect which caused other
problems. The thyroid gland helps control a persons metabolism, however even with blood tests and
dosage adjustments, it is still difficult because you don't have the thyroid gland.
Also, there are people who had hyperactive thyroids at dangerous levels that
required removing or killing it.
Thyroid problems have increased significantly during the past 30 years and this includes people in
their 20's.
Do all over-weight people have thyroid problems? Of course not. Do some people have poor diets,
yes. Do some people have other serious medical conditions such as MS and can't walk or
exercise due to pain and consequence of having the disease and are over weight, yes. (fat according to
the OP since I don't know where you draw the line with fat vs obese)
Medical researchers unsure why thyroid cancer cases on the rise
btw, I picked this report since it's a short version however this tale of "It's a good cancer" is hyperbole
since you have to routinely monitor blood levels, periodically get ultra sounds, and it can come back
depending on which type of cancer it was.
Yes, that is part of the problem. If you tend to overeat, don't have a bunch of groceries in your fridge. I basically walk to the grocery store every day to get my meals.
If you are feeding a family its hard not to have a bunch of groceries in your fridge. And as kudzu said who has time to shop each day for that day. Not to mention it is cheaper to buy in bulk and split and freeze. Living in the country folks generally can or freeze their own veggies, slaughter a beef or pig and have fresh eggs, so there it is in the pantry. And its an 8 mile walk one way along the side of a highway, uphill, to the nearest grocery store.
Just because a certain activity fits your lifestyle docent mean its a fit for everyone else.
Also America has the BIGGEST refrigerators, pantries and kitchens in the world. That means we can have way too much food and not necessarily good food within easy reach. many Europeans go to the market every day for that night's food.
Americans go into shock when they look at housing in other countries. "You call this a kitchen?" "Where is the fridge?" "No pantry?" We are spoiled rotten.
This has been changing, though. These days, most apartments, townhouses, and some detached homes have nothing but a corner in the combined living/dining room as a kitchen. Some of those kitchens are too small to be comfortably functional, with only a couple of squares of counter space. I've seen these in compact 3-br. houses intended for a small family. They make kitchens in Europe look luxurious!
In this day and age, it seems like every fat person makes excuses for their weight and claim they don't eat a lot. Obesity is glamorized these days and I don't understand why. I'm not saying we should make fun of fat people, but accepting that it's okay and healthy to be overweight is not okay.
Why does every fat person claim they have a thyroid issue or can't lose weight no matter what they do? Not everyone can be stick thin, but being obese is not natural. I think a very small percentage of people are fat because of a thyroid problem or other medical condition. Most of them are fat because they just eat too much.
Very few people were fat 100 years ago, so I refuse to believe that suddenly we have all these thyroid issues that are making us fat. Do you agree or do you think I'm being too insensitive?
I think the problem is people are really uneducated about food. I have a few overweight friends who say they eat "hardly anything" but then they post pictures of themselves on weekends eating all sorts of junk and drinking. I tell them that "being good" all week doesn't matter when you binge during the weekends.
I also find people grossly underestimate what they eat. My friend who is overweight starves herself all day, drinks a six pack of Mountain Dew, then goes out for dinner, I point out to her that she's eating well over 3,000 calories/day (which makes sense she's over 300 lbs).
Thyroid is pretty common, but when someone tells me they have a thyroid condition as they scarf down 2 Chili dogs and a large soda, I do sometimes raise an eyebrow... Specially when they always are doing it...
Usually though I give the person the benefit of the doubt unless I notice otherwise.
I'm overweight, I actually DO have a medical condition that I work really hard to maintain with diet because the medications for it makes me very ill. I am able to control my blood sugars with diet, I exercise, etc, but lucky me my body is able to hold onto a few extra pounds. I worked SUPER hard to lose 30 lbs (my goodness it was hard) so I could finally get pregnant! (Another wonderful "side effect" of my condition, hard to get pregnant). The "best part" about my medical condition is in famine I'll definitely outlast the people with "regular" metabolisms. I have friends with my same condition (it's actually shown that 5-10% of women have this condition) but they don't follow a strict diet, they don't exercise, etc. Even being pregnant I've been so careful with my diet that at 31 weeks I've only gained 8 lbs. I have added more carbs and fruit to my diet, but not junk.
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