Northern European lifestyle as a blueprint for fitness and weight loss program?

[Deleted85763]

Most Northern Europeans are slim, trim and fit. Just search out a recent video of walking through Denmark and see for yourself. Most Americans are overweight/obese and unfit. How about a program that incorporates the Northern Europe lifestyle into the lives of Americans?

 

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[Deleted85763]

Most Northern Europeans are slim, trim and fit. Just search out a recent video of walking through Denmark and see for yourself. Most Americans are overweight/obese and unfit. How about a program that incorporates the Northern Europe lifestyle into the lives of Americans?

Anyone? Or are you all too out of shape to even type a reply to this potentially world-changing idea? I'll go first. It appears the average Northern European gets the aerobic equivalent of walking 1/2 a mile per day every day IN ADDITION to their regular daily movements. What if there was some way to get everyone in the US to walk a 1/2 mile every day and by doing so the organizer could make a fortune? Certainly health care costs would plummet within a year or two. The savings of healthcare, pollution, increased productivity, better outlook, etc. would be trillions!

 

[Madame Peccato]

I'm a southern European and there aren't many obese people here either. Plenty of people live a sedentary lifestyle in Europe too. I think the biggest issue is how Americans eat.

 

[Deleted85763]

I'm a southern European and there aren't many obese people here either. Plenty of people live a sedentary lifestyle in Europe too. I think the biggest issue is how Americans eat.

The quantity, quality and/or could it be just the type of ingredients? Daily movement is not an issue? How about the long walks after dinner Italians take?

 

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[Madame Peccato]

The quantity, quality and/or could it be just the type of ingredients? Daily movement is not an issue? How about the long walks after dinner Italians take?

Yeah that's true. We go out for walks after dinners a lot, though it's something we are slowly losing. Widespread obesity is starting to creep into Europe too.

I think the problem is twofold:

1. A more sedentary lifestyle than the previous generation
2. Overabundance of "bad" food

It's a cultural problem. We have too much food available to us, and lots of it is of poor quality. Our brain loves the cheap sugary junk you can buy at the supermarket. It wasn't that big of a problem 20 years ago, because they weren't as widespread.

One difference I noticed between Europe and America is in the quantity. American food portions are huge compared to their European equivalent. Like your McDonald's have sizes that don't even exist here. I remember watching Supersize Me and being shocked by what the guy could order.

As for the lifestyle, it's because work used to be physically demanding for the majority of the population. Now that office jobs are much more common, most of these people lead a sedentary life.

Plus being fat and out of shape is socially acceptable now. The more fat people you see around, the more you think it's fine if you start getting fatter.

 

[MTEE1985]

In its simplest form I would say that in those Northern European countries, it is in the governments best interest for the citizens to be healthy. In the US, our government/FDA does not give a shit and it is in their financial interest for people to be obese and addicted to sugar.

 

[BizyDad]

In the US, our government/FDA does not give a shit and it is in their financial interest for people to be obese and addicted to sugar.

The government doesn't care or the people don't? Bloomberg bans super large sodas and everyone cries DoNt TaKe mY FREEEDOM!!

It's a chicken or egg discussion.

If the people cared they demand lower sugar in their food. They demand no subsidies for BIG SUGAR.

Or maybe not. Idk. Free market and all that.

Definitely don't want to limit video game play to three hours though. Is that a government who cares? Lol.

 

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[Simon Angel]

Anyone? Or are you all too out of shape to even type a reply to this potentially world-changing idea? I'll go first. It appears the average Northern European gets the aerobic equivalent of walking 1/2 a mile per day every day IN ADDITION to their regular daily movements. What if there was some way to get everyone in the US to walk a 1/2 mile every day and by doing so the organizer could make a fortune? Certainly health care costs would plummet within a year or two. The savings of healthcare, pollution, increased productivity, better outlook, etc. would be trillions!

The "program" is:

1. Not consuming refined sugar, limiting fruit sugar
2. Working out every day / every other day
3. Walking about 5 miles per day on average
4. Cooking your own food

 

[StrikingViper69]

UK obesity is pretty bad at the moment.

Gotta love fish and chips though.