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Explain this, /fit/. Anonymous
Italians and Frenchfags eat a shitload of fatty foods, yet their incidence of obesity is low. Also, while Greece is pretty high on the list, Cretan men have a very low incidence of heart disease, yet they eat a shitload of fats, breads, etc. as well, according to the "Coronary Heart Disease in Seven Countries" study.

Why are Amerikkkans dying yet Eurofags are stuffing their faces in? I've been to Italy and Greece and they definitely don't look like they go to the gym every fuckin' day. I assume Frenchies are the same.
>> Anonymous
>>147611
Oh, and I know BMI is mostly shit, but Mediterranean countries do enjoy lower incidences of heart disease and stroke, despite eating a shitload of food.
>> Anonymous
you can get ciggies from vending machines in japan and everyone does from a young age and they hardly get cancer. those countries eat more natural food and have hardcore traditional eaters and stuff even to the point where france has a club of people who gather round and eat banned raw meat dishes while screaming about criminal american food, some of those people think packet food as untouchable even , let alone mcdonalds. maybe it has something to do with that. maybe they have nanobots cleaning them from the inside
>> Anonymous
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>Explain this, /fit/.
Scientists can't even explain it, but if I were to hazard a guess I would say it is somewhat related to americans having to drive to take a shit.

Europe: "oh i need some groceries, i'll walk around the corner to the market where I can go to the baker, the deli and the fruit stall, and while i'm there i'll go to the post office too and visit some friends at a cafe. ahhh paris"

America: "FUUUUUUCKing hell i just got home from work and i have to drive 20miles to the fucking deli then another 6 to the bakery? fuck that i'll just drive 12 to the supermarket and get manufactured shit. actually, fuck that, i'll drive across the road for some burger king. thank fuck for email and my suv."
>> Anonymous
I was just reading about the Mediterranean diet today.

>The Lyon Diet Heart Study set out to mimic the Cretan diet, but adopted a pragmatic approach. Realizing that some of the people in the study (all of whom had survived a first heart attack) would be reluctant to move from butter to olive oil, they used a margarine based on rapeseed (canola) oil. The dietary change also included 20% increases in vitamin C rich fruit and bread and decreases in processed and red meat. On this diet, mortality from all causes was reduced by 70%. This study was so successful that the ethics committee decided to stop the study prematurely so that the results of the study could be made available to the public immediately.
>> SC_OL
because their food isn't processed with refined sugar and trans fats etc.


its like olive oil etc
>> Explain this, /fit/ Anon !cPUZU5OGFs
Just sticking to the subject matter at hand: I believe that it has nothing to do with what they eat or how they eat. Let me rephrase that. It has very little to do with what they eat or how they eat, but a whole lot to do with how they view the food they eat. In others words, it's their mentality and attitude towards food.

That's why scientist are unable to explain it, #147645. Americans could eat whatever the hell they wanted without health-related side-effects also, if they would adopt the right mentality. That's my 25cents.
>> Anonymous
>>147678
Keep your change. It has everything to do with food we eat and what's really into it. Less transfat, less premade stuff. Maybe more walking. But it's changing. People are fighting coca-cola and soda lobbies to prevent them to sponsor schools by installing(?) vending machines in schools and halls but they are losing the battle. Europe just let pass a law that would allow more refined food from america to be used in our food without any obligations to mention it on the label. Our politicians are stabbing us in the back.
Obesity epidemic (whether it's a disease or not, don't give a fuck he-man) is slowly reaching us.

OP: the lyon's study.. carefull. Few people, not representative of the whole population etc. Don't forget that goat cheese comes from goats that fed on very good grass and the one we eat here (belgium for instance) don't come with all those nutriments.

Check out the okinawan diet too. Pretty wicked stuff :]
>> Anonymous
The Anonymous who mentioned olive oil was right.

I'm sure Europe's healthcare system helps too.
>> Anonymous
>>147629

On an irrelevant note, this image is badass.
>> Anonymous
>>147663
It's real fat that they eat in France and Italy, fat from animals. American's eat food that has gone through too many processes, even if there isn't much fat it's unhealthy
>> Anonymous
Yes, a lot of French food is fatty. But the French generally eat slowly; they savor the flavors of their food rather than savoring the feeling of having a bloated stomach from cramming as much of it down your throat in as short a time as possible, which is how Americans generally eat.
>> Anonymous
It's actually a bit of a myth that the French eat a ton of fatty food. Just because every single cookbook on classical French cuisine is packed with cream sauces, pastries and fatty charcuterie doesn't mean that the average Frenchman eats that way on a regular basis.

I lived in Paris for two years, and I have never eaten more (and had better, easier access to) fresh vegetables in my life. I don't think there's a arrondissement in Paris that doesn't have at least three open-air produce markets with fresh vegetables trucked in every morning.

Also,>>147629has it right, too. The French walk everywhere. At least in Paris they do.

tl;dr There is no French paradox. They simply eat a shit-ton of vegetables and walk a lot.
>> Anonymous
>>148040

right on. meals are eaten slowly with small portions, sitting down with large groups of people talking and enjoying each others company.

In the states it seems that the rule is to prepare and eat meals as efficiently as possible, to be eaten on the car on the way to work, etc. Many familiaes don't even sit down together, or even making food from fresh ingredients.

Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" seeks to answer your specific question, OP. I highly recommend it.
>> Anonymous
also, tons of wine. But not too much. Wine is drank with many meals in places like france, and it is thought the anti-oxidents might play a big role.
>> Anonymous
>>147678
Yeah, and I am going to become slim and muscular just by wanting it. I just need to find the right mentality.
>> Anonymous
>>147629
we don't have to explain it enjoy the benefits. We just have to be smart enough to copy them. That's it. It's a paradox only for the West. eat as many foods in their natural state is possible.
>> B'gok
Hydrogenated oils (Trans fat) in US foods VS. Mostly natural and unprocessed fats in EU?

I can eat a shitload of hamburgers, pizza and "junk food" as long as I make it with good ingredients and I wont get bloated out or pimply or sluggish...
>> Anonymous
i'm half french half spanish, my opinion is you are what you eat, and the lifestyle does a lot
see:

japanese: a lot of work and discipline lifestyle, raw fish, raw meat, strange and diverse vegetables, every lunch composed by many diches all diferent: the food isn't transformed; you take the fish you eat it, that's all

french: normal amount of work but a taste for doing things correctly, extremely diverse cooking history: thousands of dishes, a taste for natural things (cheese with fungus and/or non pasteurized milk), organized eating shedules and menus; eating is a social event,
milk, coffee, tea with some ealthy pastry (croissant...), toast with butter and jam in the morning
an aperitif(some cocktail) 1 entrée, 2 dishes, a dessert and cheese, for lunch (aperitif and antree may or may not be respected but allways very apreciated)
soup, salad, some meat for diner so your stomach will let you sleep well (also 2 dishes, dessert and cheese of course)

spanish:relaxed way of life; do it right but don't overwork, never stress and be sportslike many kind of different dishes and the most important; nearly ALL the ingredients are natural, from the tree/animal/plant to the frying pan to the plate; why? it's cheaper

USA:workaholics, very transformed food (transgenic corn, thousand of diferent oils, meats, conservatives, colorants in a burger and why the fuck are pringles all the same shape??? these aren't potatoes, this is chemistry)

also the use of alcohol is more social in europe, in france many kids usually drunk a little of wine since young age, wine or beer is a normal drink in lunch in most of european countries; (i'm not sure of this, correct if i'm not right) amerifags tend to see alcohol more like a drug than a food

finally we got japan>france>spain>USA
so what I mean is, the more raw,rotted... so NATURAL or naturally transformed dishes you eat (cheese for example is fucking rotted milk), the ealthier you are
>> Anonymous
>>148140
I live in europe and agree with anon except for the kids alochjolo thingy. It's quite frowned upon to now if it's regular.. only do it when you are in a restaurant or wedding or something.. and even then.. well. It depends your age, your social class and people you know. I think there is too much alcohol around here but hey, that's me.
However, long gone are the days when young kids were allowed to drink wine in school at lunchtime.
>> Anonymous
Greekfag here. I didn't know we had so many fat people. Most young people i see are not fat at all. Well, that's what extremely small birth rate gets you, a country full of 50 year old fatties.
>> Anonymous
>>148146
well that's why I said drunk wine and not drink wine, things change; when I go seing my family in southern france it's usual to still do this, my ancestors were farmers for centuries, it was also done in spain, where I live, now alcohol is for parties on weekends, and this is not ealthy, but the traditional aproach to alcohol considering it a food that, consumed moderately, is ealthy I think is a pretty good think

I also forgot to say something about amerifood; the main problem is excess. fat is not bad, alcohol is not bad, but using it too much is.
>> Anonymous
It is the way they eat, and what they eat that keeps them alive for so long. Also, their relaxed attitudes towards life probably goes a long way... especially in comparison to the often overly stressed average American.

They enjoy life, they eat nothing but good wholesome food and enjoy doing it... they drink wine and beer as a compliment to the food and walk everywhere they go. They have passion and love and all that... they just have a very good traditional way of living that a lot of other countries can only try to emulate.

Basically, they live much healthier altogether than Americans.
>> Anonymous
>>148055
o-0

you are so right. i'm on a workout/diet plan wherein i eat 1 gram per lb of body weight of protein daily and half that of carbs, but i also have to split it up into 4-6 meals a day.

this is so cumbersome that i find myself preparing enormous meals like cubed chicken, chopped broccoli and brown rice, then splitting it up into 10 or 20 individual meals and freezing them for easy microwaving later. i don't have time to do any otherwise.
>> Lil Dreamer !UYwMl8CsAs
it's called portions. compare them.
>> Anonymous
A study was conducted in Sweden to find out how eating at least two fast food meals a day and having little exercise would affect our body. 12 men and 6 women – 17 of whom were students – in their twenties, all slim and in good health, were recruited for the study.

They eat at least two meals a day at McDonalds, Burger King or other fast-food restaurants over four weeks. The volunteers were also told to refrain from exercising. The goal was to increase body weight by 10 to 15 percent to measure the impact of an abrupt surge in calorie intake. Another group ate a normal healthy diet and acted as controls.

Blood samples were taken before, during and after the experiment to monitor levels of an enzyme called alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, a potential marker for liver damage often seen among heavy drinkers and patients with hepatitis C.

Levels of ALT increased sharply after only one week, and quadrupled on average over the entire period. Two of the individuals had liver steatosis, or fatty liver, in which fat cells build up dangerously in the liver. Steatosis is associated with the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which has taken on epidemic proportions, especially in industrialised countries.

Published in the British Medical Association's journal Gut, the study "proves that high ALT levels can be caused by food alone," said Nystrom, a doctor at the University Hospital of Linkoping.

That signs of liver damage were linked to carbohydrates was another key finding.

"It was not the fat in the hamburgers, it was rather the sugar in the coke," he said.
>> Anonymous
(Continued)
But the most startling result implies that an intensive fast food diet might have some health benefits too, apparently from fat.

"We found that healthy HDL cholesterol actually increased over the four-week period -- this was very counter-intuitive," Nystrom said.

HDL, sometimes called "good cholesterol," seems to clean the walls of blood vessels, removing excess "bad cholesterol" that can cause coronary artery disease and transporting it to the liver for processing.

Nystrom has yet to publish the cholesterol findings, but said they were consistent with the so-called "French Paradox."

For nearly two decades, scientists have wrestled to explain how the French can consume a diet rich in fats -- from abundant butter, cream, cheese and meat -- yet have generally low levels of heart disease and hypertension.

"The study showed that the increase in saturated fat correlated with the increase in healthy cholesterol," he said.
>> Anonymous
don't forget that Europe consists of dozens of states and even more nationalities. There are big differences between the diets and lifestyles of Swedes, Italians, Lithuanians, and Britfags.

so what's the common thread here? Probably most of these cultures have relatively ancient and stable food cultures, and still mainly consume foods produced naturally and with a minimum of artificial additives.

Incidentally, the closest food culture to that of America is proberly the UK, and I'd imagine (too lazy to look up) that they are the least healthy of all Europeans (outside of vodka-swilling easterners). Regardless, Brits are still healthier than Americans on average due to the nationalized health care system.

tl;dr america fails... at everything
>> Anonymous
HFCS, large rural/semi rural areas with poor health care/health education, mexicans, and media manipulation, next question please.
>> Anonymous
lulz, in this country poor people vote republican. almost no one here is capable of making rational choices. we're like 300 million children
>> Anonymous
>>148290

I never understood this. Is it because they're stupid? Or do Republicans actually have some type of plan to help the poor that I've just never heard of due to extreme-left friends/family?
>> Anonymous
Do american's really eat junk food EVERY day? No one here does that. We gather with our families, cook and eat all together.
>> Lil Dreamer !UYwMl8CsAs
>>148350
the majority do. i see the drivethrus of major fast food chains PACKED every lunch and dinner time.
>> Anonymous
>>148350

yes
>> Anonymous
>>147611
Walks to public transit.
>> Moonmauler !!LgNbdvCFAuN
>>148350
Whenever I drive by a fast food place at lunchtime and see the line for the drive-thru wrap around the building (made up almost entirely of SUVs no less) I weep for the future of this country.
>> Anonymous
>>148350
it's forced into our heads that WE NEED AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE OH FUCK OH FUCK COOKING TAKES FUCKING HOURS NO WAY BRB FAST FOOD SO I CAN BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AAAGGGHHH TIIIIIIME IS RUNNING OOOUUUUUUT NEVER ENOUGH TIIIIIME.

I stopped watching tv for about a year, then started watching again, it becomes extremely apparent what they're trying to shove into our heads, it's very depressing how many americans are unaware of this somewhat blatant manipulation that's going on.

On the plus side, we are one of the most productive per capita countries in the world (even beating japan, and I think only losing to some european country, I think it was norway), so I guess it counts for something.
>> Anonymous
>>148355
This is insane. Hard to imagine for us eurofags. I wonder, what about those 'next, dismissed' and all mtv reality shows.. how come those guys always have great body ? How can your teens grow up with those models and still eat junk food and keep looking like them ?
>> Moonmauler !!LgNbdvCFAuN
>>148442
This. I HATE the mentality that's ingrained in out country. Sometimes when I give people dietary advice they BAWWW about how cooking takes time, they don't have time to eat breakfast and how junk food is more convenient. I'm always tempted to tell them "Well if you value your time and money more than your body and health I feel sorry for you, and you're going to stay fat. You made your goddamn bed, now sleep in it."

Although I know in the end America is still a first world country and I'm lucky to not be living in Ethiopia or something, there's still a lot about our culture that pisses me the fuck off.
>> Moonmauler !!LgNbdvCFAuN
>>148482
Not EVERYONE in this country is a fatass. Surprising I know. MTV just picks out the few people who aren't so they fit to their manufactured image.
>> Anonymous
>>148492
On the plus side, the information age seems to be contributing to fixing a lot of our problems. I mean fuck, if it weren't for 4chan and listening to a lot of comedians on comedy radio, I wouldn't have known how much, or why America is so unpopular, it's not 100% our fault, they (government, the press) really do pull one hell of veil over our heads, and it takes one hell of a slap in the face to see through all the AMERICA, FUCK YEAH, without buying into some of the equally ignorant AMERICA IS ULTIMATE EVIL FATTY MCFATFAT WARMONGERS etc.

http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/hateamerica.html <- this was a farly maturely written article I came across explaining both sides to some satisfaction. It made me rage a little inside in some parts, but considering the sensitivity of the topic, that's bound to happen.
>> ITT: Idiots Anonymous
It's not about fat. It's about HOW MUCH YOU EAT. You can eat non-fat crap for 4000 calories a day and you WILL become obese. This causes all sorts of other health issues.

tl;dr get out of your 90's mindset.
>> Anonymous
>>148496

As do they in Hollywood films, etc..

A film was being shot near where a friend of mine lives so she was going to audition for an extra in it. She was hyped up and was sure she would get a part, she waited hours outside for it. I felt like telling her "They are only going to take the thin, good looking people", but it would crush her. Suffice to say, she never got the part.
>> Anonymous
>>147629

That's not necessarily the fault of American laziness though.
Things tend to be farther away from each other in America because of the large size and the fact that most people have cars.

That's also why there's more public transportation in Europe and why the very high gas prices in Europe aren't as much of a big deal there.

If there were a lot of places to go that were within walking distance or if there were trains that went to more than a few major cities, I'd walk and use public transportation more often.
>> Anonymous
Lifestyle has a lot to do with it.
Europeans in general have large lunches and small dinners. Americans often skip breakfast and have a large dinner.
Europeans still cook or dine out for the most part, whereas Americans have such an on-the-go lifestyle that they eat lots of processed "fast" foods.
And lastly, in Europe, many people drink wine daily. While France has a high rate of liver disorders compared to the US, they have much lower cardiovascular disease statistics. Red wine also contains reservitol (look it up), which has been linked to numerous health benefits including mitigation of cancer-causing elements and promotion of cardiovascular health.

Americans: learn to enjoy the act of cooking and fine foods, eat a light dinner, and drink more red wine.
>> Anonymous
an economics journal I read explained these problems with trans fats and access to microwaves/packaged food (ie. hungry man dinners.)

europeans, in general, spend more prep time on their food. they also have fewer microwaves.
>> Anonymous
It's serving size and frequency, not magical Eurofag powers.
>> Anonymous
>>148026
Welcome to corporate america. Now corporate europe as well.
>> Anonymous
>>148350

you are obviously a faggot european or a troll. when i lived in europe (eastern) we didnt "get together and eat healthy with family" every day. we ate shitty food sometimes too...

where i live now (america) people dont eat shit everyday, its just like in europe, they eat like that when they dont have time to eat anything else.
>> Anonymous
I'm surprised that the OP chart shows Korea and Japan with the same percentage considering that Koreans eat way more beef than the Japanese do.

Although personally I consider the Korean diet to be healthier.
>> Anon No.161
What's the first step to anything? Deciding what you want. That's half the battle. Then action comes. Having the right mentality isn't just thinking about it. That's just silly to even imply. Having the right mentality encompasses not only how you view things, but how you respond to certain things. There are numerous studies and findings of all sorts of people who are considered healthy and what not, and they all have different types of eating habits and level of physical activity. So that has got to tell you food and motion isn't the only factor. What other factor is there?
>> Anonymous
>>149919
The other factor is that your numerous studies don't exist.
>> Anonymous
Walking everywhere.

I spent 10 days in Japan and lost some weight without even trying. Same when I relied on San Francisco's public transport for a few days.

When I'm at home, if I walk too far, people driving will occasionally slow down, approach, scream at me in Spanish, and speed off.