DIET AND FITNESS
Why Europeans Are Thinner Than
Americans
Related Links
Just How Much More Do Europeans Walk Than Americans
Normal Waist Size
Normal Waist Size for a Man
Why We Go Soft In the Middle
Foods That Shrink Your Waist
Diet and Exercise
Snoring Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke
September 28, 2008
By Dusty Howard, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Back home from my last trip to Europe four years ago,
I finally knew the secret to why Europeans are thinner
than we Yanks.
In Europe --The Netherlands and Spain for a round
year anniversary--- I remember the first time I knew
this vacation would require an adjustment of my head.
I was in a small town about to board a ferry. I was
hungry because it was just before 8AM and I hadn't
eaten before I left my hotel.
I satcheed up to the counter of a breakfast bar and
asked for a sandwich and a container of what looked
like potatoes. The clerk, friendly enough, gave me both.
Only he didn't give me both the sandwich and the
potatoes. He carefully wrapped the container of
potatoes. He had assumed I would eat them later.
For a moment I thought about asking him to unwrap
the container. Then it hit me. This was part of the
secret to why Europeans are thinner. They eat smaller
portions.
And for the rest of the trip, so did I.
Second revelation. I have never walked more than
when I was in Europe. I realized that here in the
States, we may exercise harder --in gyms. But in our
everyday lives, we barely move.
It's not entirely our faults. Our cities are not built for
walking.
Most of our downtowns are for work, not living. We
live our lives encased in air-conditioned cars on our
way to air-conditioned cubicles. We go from one
plexiglass encasement to another plexiglass encasement.
In Europe, cities came first with sidewalks and
boulevards-- and stayed that way. Highways by and
large were add-ons. There are few if any "edge cities"--
you know the type. Clones upon clones of pseudo
made-for-business-only towns have sprung up way
outside of any metropolis, anchored by an office park
or a mall, existing for the sole purpose of providing a
vessel to collect the highway river of shopping Off Exit
So-and-So, soul-less hodgepods with no real center of
sidewalk life at all.
America is a nation of drivers. We drive everywhere. My
brother-in-law once drove over to his neighbor's
house-- across the street. We wear our cars like armor,
protecting us in our safe, hermetically-sealed,
temperature-controlled encasements from outside
bombardments of noise and heat and cold --and people.
New studies have confirmed what I saw first hand, that
Europeans walk far more than we do. In fact, about 3
times more.
So, there it is. Small portions. And sidewalks. I can
create the smaller portions. But are there any city
planners out there who can build me some sidewalks?
By the way, here's the list of America's Fattest Cities,
according To Men's Fitness Magazine:
2007 RANKING LAST YEAR
1. Las Vegas 2
2. San Antonio 12
3. Miami 14
4. Mesa, AZ 10
5. Los Angeles 3
6. Houston 5
7. Dallas 4
8. El Paso 8
9. Detroit 15
10. San Jose 24
The Top 10 Fittest Cities in 2007
2007 RANKING LAST YEAR
1. Albuquerque 13
2. Seattle 8
3. Colorado Springs 6
4. Minneapolis 21
5. Tucson 4
6. Denver 20
7. San Francisco 7
8. Baltimore 1
9. Portland 17
10. Honolulu 2
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Normal Waist Size for Men and Women
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Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
My Heart Attack-personal stories by survivors
Top Ten Ways to Stop Night Time Congestion
Stop Leg Cramps At Night
Europeans Walk 3 Times More Than Americans
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| After a short trip to America, Michelangelo's David returns to Europe... |
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