General Discussion

valerief

(53,235 posts) Sat Jun 13, 2015, 02:42 PM Jun 2015

Stingy, White and Fat: Here’s What the Rest Of the World Thinks of Americans

http://www.alternet.org/stingy-white-and-fat-heres-what-rest-world-thinks-americans

Our image is getting better! Not one *stupid* in there.

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Stingy, White and Fat: Here’s What the Rest Of the World Thinks of Americans (Original Post) valerief Jun 2015 OP

I know *I* smell like freedom. Schema Thing Jun 2015 #1

The freedom to smell is very American. valerief Jun 2015 #2

That's the smell of Freedom Fries! Human101948 Jun 2015 #9

other than that, very positive 6chars Jun 2015 #3

Hilarious that it's the GERMANS making those disparaging remarks!!! MADem Jun 2015 #4

Yeah, but... valerief Jun 2015 #6

So "We are not quite as fat" is a defense? MADem Jun 2015 #7

Hey, I can't judge. Over the decades, I've packed it on like a typical fat American myself. valerief Jun 2015 #8

I'll bet you could pass for German, then!!! MADem Jun 2015 #10

I think our obesity virus is high fructose corn syrup. I didn't start gaining until valerief Jun 2015 #11

Could well be! I avoid that crap like the plague nowadays! MADem Jun 2015 #12

I noticed other Americans in Europe olddots Jun 2015 #5

Schema Thing

(10,283 posts)

1. I know *I* smell like freedom.

Reply to valerief (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 03:03 PM

Jun 2015

valerief

(53,235 posts)

2. The freedom to smell is very American.

Reply to Schema Thing (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 03:04 PM

Jun 2015

Human101948

(3,457 posts)

9. That's the smell of Freedom Fries!

Reply to valerief (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 05:04 PM

Jun 2015

Supersize me baby!

6chars

(3,967 posts)

3. other than that, very positive

Reply to valerief (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 03:11 PM

Jun 2015

they really had a lot of nice things to say about americans. it seemed like they admire americnas but are somewhat puzzled by why we are (self included) heavier than our counterparts abroad.

MADem

(135,425 posts)

4. Hilarious that it's the GERMANS making those disparaging remarks!!!

Reply to valerief (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 03:39 PM

Jun 2015

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/new-obesity-rankings-germans-are-fattest-people-in-europe-study-shows-a-478303.html

Glass houses!!!

valerief

(53,235 posts)

6. Yeah, but...

Reply to MADem (Reply #4)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 04:54 PM

Jun 2015

Vojtech Hainer, president of IASO's European section, said Germans had not yet reached US levels of obesity. "Of all industrial states the US is the country with the highest proportion of obese people," he told SPIEGEL ONLINE.

MADem

(135,425 posts)

7. So "We are not quite as fat" is a defense?

Reply to valerief (Reply #6)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 04:57 PM

Jun 2015

I mean, come on--glass houses!!!

valerief

(53,235 posts)

8. Hey, I can't judge. Over the decades, I've packed it on like a typical fat American myself.

Reply to MADem (Reply #7)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 04:59 PM

Jun 2015

MADem

(135,425 posts)

10. I'll bet you could pass for German, then!!!

Reply to valerief (Reply #8)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 05:10 PM

Jun 2015

There are a lot of beefy people in Germany...UK, too, lately.

I'm not ready for an underwear ad, either--who the hell is?

Of course, on the internet, everyone lives in a stylish home, looks younger than their stated years, has perfect children/grandchildren, never makes a mistake, never has a hair out of place...so I guess we should just shuffle over to the virtual loser's table for our chat!!!

One has to wonder if the stories about an "obesity virus" have any truth, or if it's all down to not enough walking and too much chomping! Wouldn't the "virus" story be a better result--then they could find a cure for it!

Seriously--it's a research area:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectobesity

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2645702/Is-obesity-contagious-Virus-causes-symptoms-common-cold-linked-weight-gain.html