Chewing Fighting the Fat

You don’t realize how fat your country is until you actually leave the country.

About a month ago I vacationed in Europe for a couple of weeks. As soon as I arrived in Milan, Italy two things struck me—the language barrier (naturally) and the absence of fat folks.

But Italy is the birthplace of pasta—everything carbohydrates. How on earth are there NO FAT PEOPLE?

I’ll tell you why. Europeans, including Italians, don’t do nearly as much eating as Americans. In the U.S. we live for giant portions at behemoth restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory. You'll be served a cheeseburger the size of your head, enough French fries to feed an African tribe, and unlimited refills of soda. Then there are about thirty kinds of cheesecake (cookie dough, Oreo, Godiva chocolate—I’m salivating). But that’s not enough because you’ll make a trip to Coldstone Creamery for a waffle bowl of Birthday Cake Remix—cake batter ice cream with fudge brownie, sprinkles, and chocolate syrup.

But then in Italy, you go to a restaurant and you’re served a plate of food that’s simply satisfying. You get the complimentary basket of bread. You drink a glass of wine or mineral water. And your entrée is a normal portion of chicken and spaghetti—not an amount that would feed a Sumo wrestler. You’ll probably have enough room in your stomach to share a dessert with your dining companion. In the end, you’re not so full that you can’t get out of your chair.

Europeans also walk more than they drive. The Italians walk. The French walk. The Swiss walk. I don’t think I saw any gyms or exercise facilities because they’re unnecessary—everyone walks! But if you take a stroll through Manhattan, there’s a New York Sports Club or Crunch gym on every corner. As obsessed and health-conscious we Americans are, we’re still so damn fat.

We’re a nation on the go. We prefer drive-thrus to dining inside of restaurants. We rather microwave a cheap TV dinner in two minutes than spend some time cooking a gourmet meal from scratch. We can’t be bothered. We want quick fixes. We have no time (or money) to waste.

Unsurprisingly, our country is the origin of fast food—McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc. It’s quick, inexpensive, and convenient. And of course we try to spread these ideals (and obesity) throughout the world. “Hey Europeans! Hey Japanese! Fatten up your people! It’s a moneymaker!” While I saw plenty of McDonalds restaurants in Paris and London, the individuals entering and exiting these stores with large bags of deliciously fattening food were still only the size of my thigh.

The American way of eating has ironically become a dangerous culture. While we’re more health-conscious than ever, we have trouble altering our way of life. If you go to any grocery store and inspect any box or can of food, you’ll notice its nutrition information and long list of ingredients. (Who cares how much fructose syrup is in my Kellogg’s Pop Tarts?) We're obsessed with knowing what we're putting into our bodies, yet we're not ingesting any less of it.

The United States is fat. Everyone knows it. Even Americans know it. But what are we doing to actually “fix” the problem?

Since no one really has any good ideas, everyone is just scrambling for temporary solutions to this serious ongoing problem. New diet fads (e.g., Atkins, South Beach, etc.). Low-fat (or low-sodium, low-calorie) alternatives. Banning the sale of junk food and sodas in public schools. Prohibiting the construction of fast food restaurants near public schools.

But what are we really accomplishing here? Is hiding the “bad” food going to make us eat less of it? Is providing low-fat/sodium/calorie alternatives going to make us skinny even if we’re consuming just as much food as we were before? If there’s any positive result, we’ll gain weight at a slower rate. “Instead of being 300 pounds when I’m 25, I’ll be 300 pounds when I’m 28. Yay!”

No matter where you travel, whether it’s Farmersville, USA or the French Riviera, the “bad” food is out there. The only difference is where we set our limits (i.e., portion control). There’s no harm in trying different foods. After all, what fun is it to eat sugar-free ice cream and cheese-less pizza?

As much as we hate the French, we could learn a thing or two from them. We need to learn to enjoy our food more and eat more slowly. We shouldn’t gorge ourselves at places like the Cheesecake Factory. The goal of eating isn’t to consume ‘til the oxygen can’t circulate throughout the body. Being satisfied doesn’t have to mean being full.

The first thing morbidly obese people do when they decide to lose the weight is they eat substantially less. Once enough pounds disappear from the body and they can move around more easily, they learn to exercise.

But while fitness is wonderful and everyone should be physically active, committing oneself to bland diets and going to the gym six days a week isn’t ideal. The Europeans don’t need to do that and neither do Americans.

We just need to eat less and not gorge. Eat two Oreos instead of half the package. Have one slice of pizza and a side salad instead of four sausage slices with extra cheese. If you cut down on the portions, you’ll allow yourself room to try new foods without worrying about the calories or weight gain.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Burger King meal once in a while. It ain’t gonna make your heart explode. Just don’t make it a habit.

It saddens me to see overweight kids with their overweight parents. It pains me to see them eating their Big Macs and "supersizing" their fries and soft drinks. I see where the bad habits begin and where they’ll continue.

But we can’t hide unhealthy food and we shouldn’t avoid it either. Banning junk food in high school cafeterias isn’t going to fix the problem. By making desperate attempts to curb poor eating habits, we’re not identifying the true source of the problem—ourselves.

The only real way to reduce rates of obesity is to slow down and enjoy food. Stay fit, but don’t hibernate at the gym. Eat less, but eat well.

Together we can fight the fat!