Rain Dog wrote:Big regional differences too with the southeast tending to have more obese people.

On this trip I drove from LA to FL. Saw a pretty good cross section. The human heifer was in Nevada, if I recall. The Golden Corral guy was admittedly in FL.

Great piece of writing. Despite holding citizenship, I've only been to the states a small handful of times (maybe 5-7?). Once, while in Baltimore, my family was in a big crowd watching some street performer. I remember my dad (who is American) later admitting that he had never seen so many fat people before. It seemed that being in a crowd just amplified the level of obeseness around him. My dad left the states probably around the late 70s and before that had traveled a lot during the early-mid 70s. This was probably 10-15 years ago but I remember him saying he didn't remember ever seeing that many fat people back in the day and it really blew his mind.

Going to California was also a shock for me as a kid. Tons of fatties around. Tons... Also, the poor sense of style is something I also strangely recall. For some reason it also struck me. Not that I'm stylish or anything, but white running shoes and sweat pants/shirts seemed to be people's Sunday best. Sure, some people were well-dressedl but it seemed like the whole country was due for a makeover. Then again, there's the other extreme which you also talked about (extremely fit beach types). Still, when you're in a crowd it really hits you like a ton of bricks: the sheer number of people who are not just chubby or fat, but morbidly obese. It's an even bigger shock coming from here I'd guess, where the average weight is quite low.

To reiterate: We're number 1.

Our country was established by imaginative young men without regard to their own personal gain. After sending the British packing after losing the revolutionary war, LOL they came back wearing that British Red again, we spent the 1800s establishing the military, economic, and cultural dominance which still lasts today. You think you guys up North compare to us? You can't even get your car defrosted in Winnipeg in April.

The Americans, the Facebook and the Zugerberg crews have their reason for the 'no trespassing' or you will get shot because it is a violation of privacy. One of the reasons is below.

nightmare.believer wrote:To reiterate: We're number 1.

Our country was established by imaginative young men without regard to their own personal gain.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Great piece of writing. Despite holding citizenship, I've only been to the states a small handful of times (maybe 5-7?). Once, while in Baltimore, my family was in a big crowd watching some street performer. I remember my dad (who is American) later admitting that he had never seen so many fat people before. It seemed that being in a crowd just amplified the level of obeseness around him. My dad left the states probably around the late 70s and before that had traveled a lot during the early-mid 70s. This was probably 10-15 years ago but I remember him saying he didn't remember ever seeing that many fat people back in the day and it really blew his mind.

Going to California was also a shock for me as a kid. Tons of fatties around. Tons... Also, the poor sense of style is something I also strangely recall. For some reason it also struck me. Not that I'm stylish or anything, but white running shoes and sweat pants/shirts seemed to be people's Sunday best. Sure, some people were well-dressedl but it seemed like the whole country was due for a makeover. Then again, there's the other extreme which you also talked about (extremely fit beach types). Still, when you're in a crowd it really hits you like a ton of bricks: the sheer number of people who are not just chubby or fat, but morbidly obese. It's an even bigger shock coming from here I'd guess, where the average weight is quite low.

Yeah, I think also for me some of shock comes from being an expat so long and visiting the US so infrequently in the last couple/few decades that changes such as the great fattening and fittening of the US appears more stark. Nevertheless, at a local theme park the other day, the sight of vast herds of lardoes moving about on electric carts for no other apparent reason than their inability (and perhaps unwillingness) to carry their own weight does not bode well. (Where's Buffallo Bill when you really need him?) And their kids...my God, they're as fat or fatter than their parents. Strikes me as borderline child abuse.

Edit to add:
I'm also struck by the seeming parallel development of the greatly deepened political divide in America. Years ago, though people still fell to either side of the political divide, it seemed that the division was less extreme, with average Joe Right or Left hovering this way or that closer to the center. These days, like the fit and the fat, the shades of gray of the political center seem to have given way to the extremes of black and white. I wonder if their is any connection or relationship between these two great changes in the US.