Are we all 'skinny challenged' compared to the world?

[Genie+]

If you pull up newspaper photos from the 70s and prior of the general public it is almost shocking to notice the high ratio of skinny and very skinny people.

The one biggest difference overall I think? Access to large variety quick cheap highly processed foods.

It wasn’t typical to have many of these on hand. They were available but homes weren’t inundated with options.

 

[john7994]

I took this photo in Japan of a billboard advertising some weight loss product. The man and woman to the left of their respective pictures are what’s considered fat by Japanese standards.

View attachment 817498

Are they thinner or is the picture just smaller?

 

[starlite_]

And by medical standards.

We as Americans are more inclined to think someone who is a healthy weight probably has cancer because they look so much thinner than everyone else.

Yes, but also the BMI is not actually an accurate way to determine health by weight.

 

[EllieJedi]

It's entirely possible all the people in Europe that would enjoy a vacation with an ECV are instead choosing to hide at home and not be judged. Or they hop on planes and come over here to try and blend in more.

I am in the process of planning my first trip back to Europe since I was disabled in an accident in 2018. I will be needing to rent either a wheelchair or small folding ECV for our trip to London.

You may find it funny but I have had people make comments to the point where I no longer wear skirts. People on forums feel free to post comments suggesting that disabled people should stop traveling.

I still exercise, although I am limited to pool workouts now. I also watch what I eat.

 

[wvjules]

Yes, but also the BMI is not actually an accurate way to determine health by weight.

He didn't mention BMI in his post.

 

[starlite_]

He didn't mention BMI in his post.

Did I say he did?
BMI was mentioned somewhere on the thread plus it's what I immediately think of when ppl mention "healthy weight". It's a general comment.

 

[Smugpugmug]

That's my trash TV show too!! I can't believe he calls her "Piggy"! She's not really that big that I noticed.

And sees nothing wrong with calling someone Piggy and even doubles down on it.

It's true that people where he's from are skinnier on average but come on....

 

[thanxfornoticin]

For any of you who have had the opportunity to visit any of the Asian Disney parks, you know how different the 'sizing' is by going into the souvenir shops. We had several folks in our American tour group complaining they couldn't find any shirts big enough - the shirts were not sized for the more typical larger Americans..... We could not find any shirts that equated to anything bigger than an American Large - maybe a smaller XL. They don't seem to need them for most of their native customers....

 

[Chili327]

We brought a couple of friends over from the UK for their first Disney visit. We had a ball! However, on one day they were acting funny and we finally said "WHAT is it??" and they sheepishly asked why everyone was fat.

I looked around and I guess the views were vastly different than how we all looked in the 1970s. Not sure what has happened.

I don't do world travel, but am wondering...do we as Americans look different than non-tourists in the EU and south America and Australia etc?

And if so....why?

It's SUGAR!!!

I didn't read through any replies, but I can tell you we eat a ton of crap here in the states, & that's not just fast-food, its everything we eat.
For example McDonalds fries in the UK have like 4 ingredients, here in the US they have like 13. I blame the FDA & the lobbyists that buy our govt officials/programs. Corporations make food that is addicting & makes you stay hungry so you eat more (buy more), and in turn makes us sick, but not dead otherwise the healthcare system would lose out on profits/patients.

It's a big scam here & we all don't know any better. The only "real" food at the grocery store is around the outer walls, everything in the aisles is garbage, only the produce, & meat dept./deli has real food in it.

I'm a low carb fan, & have learned a lot about how processed food, sugars, seed oils, etc are all killing us slowly. Finely tuned to keep the profits as high as possible and for as long as possible.

I believe diets like Keto (clean keto), Animal Based & Carnivore diets are going to become very popular in the near future, because they are based on cleaner food (not that i believe fruit and veggies are bad for us), but something isn't working, and you can see the difference, & it's huge, as your friends from the UK pointed out.

I blame Ancel Keys


Sugar is to blame - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure,_White_and_Deadly

 

[Smugpugmug]

For any of you who have had the opportunity to visit any of the Asian Disney parks, you know how different the 'sizing' is by going into the souvenir shops. We had several folks in our American tour group complaining they couldn't find any shirts big enough - the shirts were not sized for the more typical larger Americans..... We could not find any shirts that equated to anything bigger than an American Large - maybe a smaller XL. They don't seem to need them for most of their native customers....

One of my Tokyo Disney shirts is a XXL and fits like a US medium. I kept thinking about how people taller and larger than me would probably not be able to buy a shirt from there.

 

[kdonnel]

Yes, but also the BMI is not actually an accurate way to determine health by weight.

My neighbor used to talk about how he was healthy fat, like that is a real thing. It is certainly something that many Americans believe.

The he got diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol.

His BMI was a useful measurement he ignored. A measurement that indicated he should see a physician who would use other tools to determine his health.

BMI is a very useful tool to know if more in depth testing should be done.

This article talks about the many shortcomings of the BMI
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-useful-is-the-body-mass-index-bmi-201603309339

and ends with:

As a single measure, BMI is clearly not a perfect measure of health. But it's still a useful starting point for important conditions that become more likely when a person is overweight or obese. In my view, it's a good idea to know your BMI. But it's also important to recognize its limitations.

 

[Marrila]

I am in the process of planning my first trip back to Europe since I was disabled in an accident in 2018. I will be needing to rent either a wheelchair or small folding ECV for our trip to London.

You may find it funny but I have had people make comments to the point where I no longer wear skirts. People on forums feel free to post comments suggesting that disabled people should stop traveling.

I still exercise, although I am limited to pool workouts now. I also watch what I eat.

I hope you find folks there kind and helpful.
Wishing you a wonderful London trip.

 

[kdonnel]

For any of you who have had the opportunity to visit any of the Asian Disney parks, you know how different the 'sizing' is by going into the souvenir shops. We had several folks in our American tour group complaining they couldn't find any shirts big enough - the shirts were not sized for the more typical larger Americans..... We could not find any shirts that equated to anything bigger than an American Large - maybe a smaller XL. They don't seem to need them for most of their native customers....

The same is true in Disneyland Paris.

Not only are the shirts sized smaller, at least when we were visiting, there were not many to choose from. T-shirts are apparently not something Europeans bought so the park stocked very few. The ones they did stock ran much smaller.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

The same is true in Disneyland Paris.

Not only are the shirts sized smaller, at least when we were visiting, there were not many to choose from. T-shirts are apparently not something Europeans bought so the park stocked very few. The ones they did stock ran much smaller.

I said this a few pages ago. Its something I notice, as I visit both Disneyland California and Disneyland Paris

 

[NYCgrrl]

I am in the process of planning my first trip back to Europe since I was disabled in an accident in 2018. I will be needing to rent either a wheelchair or small folding ECV for our trip to London.

You may find it funny but I have had people make comments to the point where I no longer wear skirts. People on forums feel free to post comments suggesting that disabled people should stop traveling.

I still exercise, although I am limited to pool workouts now. I also watch what I eat.

I’m planning a future trip to Europe as well!
Either end of ‘24 or ‘25. There’s an exhibit I want to see and I plan to spend more time in the UK than is my norm.

My disability is limited to one side of my bod so I’m still comfy wearing whatever I like.
Guess I’ll have a better assessment of this lifestyle change soon enough.

Right now I’m thinking of taking theQE2 r/t to take an item off my bucket list. A lot depends on my traveling buddy’s budget and disposition. She only wants to visit the UK due to language concerns (don’t make me sigh, girl!) but I already told her I plan to cross the channel so maybe she‘ll expand her horizons.

Next step is to start picking a hotel based on nearness to what I want to see and ease of accessibility.
I expect this trip to be different, more planned than in the past but still a sense of independence cuz you’ll never know what will happen if you decide to turn that corner.
Hey and pay no attention to those who make silly comments. Life’s too short to figure out their problems unless you’re a headshrinker and they are paying you

 

[shh]

I quoted your post. It was pretty clear what you said. You see a fat person on an ECV and you assume they are too fat to walk.

A single pound of excess weight on a human being (or any animal) multiplies the strain on their joints by 4-5x times. So for every pound, it's 4-5 pounds of extra strain on very delicate knee structure. It's easy to see why joints erode prematurely. Like a small vehicle that tows big RVs or carrying extensive cargo and wasn't designed for that. Things will wear out/break much faster.

I don't assume that all the medically overweight and obese people I see in ECVs cannot walk because of their weight. However, as any doctor or physical therapist will confirm, many who need ECVs because of painful knee or joint-related issues often developed those issues as a direct result of carrying excess weight over time that damaged their joints. (Certainly not all: RA, injuries and other issues cause joint destruction. But a common reason is excess weight.)

Excess weight should never be a judgement of a person's character, work ethic, etc. But it IS a valid medical diagnosis and a major cause of joint-related pain.

 

[Karin1984]

For example McDonalds fries in the UK have like 4 ingredients, here in the US they have like 13.

That and portion sizes.

Insider foods did a series on portion size difference between the US and UK.

Especially in soft drinks and fries, but also extra, bigger sizes available in chicken nuggets and popcorn than in the UK.

And that is especially interesting with the goldilocks effect, the tendens to pick the middle one. But the US middle size is bigger than the UK's.

 

[Genie+]

That and portion sizes.

Insider foods did a series on portion size difference between the US and UK.

Especially in soft drinks and fries, but also extra, bigger sizes available in chicken nuggets and popcorn than in the UK.

And that is especially interesting with the goldilocks effect, the tendens to pick the middle one. But the US middle size is bigger than the UK's.

Look how much older the US fries makes you look! Same guy just more chemicals.

(Joke)

 

[BrianL]

That and portion sizes.

Insider foods did a series on portion size difference between the US and UK.

Especially in soft drinks and fries, but also extra, bigger sizes available in chicken nuggets and popcorn than in the UK.

And that is especially interesting with the goldilocks effect, the tendens to pick the middle one. But the US middle size is bigger than the UK's.

Sizes are really crazy these days. Some places start their combo at small, and they ask, small, medium, or large? - the medium is what I would have thought of as extra-large! Small is plenty big.

 

[rlk]

In my experience “skinny shaming” seems to be much more socially acceptable these days than “fat shaming”. As a naturally thin person who actually tries to work to keep weight on (with protein shakes etc.) many people seem to think it’s absolutely fine to tell me to my face that I’m looking “too skinny”, “gaunt”, etc., while I would never think of responding by saying something like “well you’re looking kind of chubby” because that would feel unpardonably rude. When I mentioned this observation to my doctor he agreed and said that over the years, as people’s average weights have increased, what used to be considered normal many now see as “too skinny”.

I have experienced "skinny shaming" my whole adult life. People think nothing of making comments that they think are harmless but are very hurtful. People think nothing of making comments such as "you must not eat" or "why don't you eat a few burgers" but, would never think to say something to a person of size.

It is much more socially acceptable to skinny shame. People don't even realize how hurtful it could be.