Original Post by alibuch:

What is with Europeans and Florida?

I agree. There are many other better places to visit when you come to the States? Why Florida??

Because that's what the tourist industry pushes as one of the top place "you must go to".

All the travel programmes etc continually show Florida. 

Ok guys.........the reason I visited Florida is because my boyfriend has spent summers basically everywhere else in the US and doing countless road trips across it, and the only place he hadnt visited and would like to was Florida!!!!! I really dont see the harm in choosing it as a holiday destination????

And I think that making a statement like " whats with europeans and Florida" is missing the point about the acceptance of obesity levels that i encountered while on holiday.

And Jevw go you on making a change, making your kids packed lunch may seem like a small thing, but it will make a big difference to them :)

Original Post by bee86:

Ok guys.........the reason I visited Florida is because my boyfriend has spent summers basically everywhere else in the US and doing countless road trips across it, and the only place he hadnt visited and would like to was Florida!!!!! I really dont see the harm in choosing it as a holiday destination????

And I think that making a statement like " whats with europeans and Florida" is missing the point about the acceptance of obesity levels that i encountered while on holiday.

And Jevw go you on making a change, making your kids packed lunch may seem like a small thing, but it will make a big difference to them :)

I could be wrong, but I thought hawkeyegal (who originally said "What is with Europeans and Florida?") meant it jokingly. ._.

Original Post by bee86:

But what shocked me was number one the all you can eat buffets, free refills of fizzy drinks (but not water), Giant pretzels, HUGE portions as in enough for two people in one main course, everything including the people seemed to be bigger??(like all the same how wud be it possible to be thin with all these options??)

We visited theme parks and we donned comfy shoes and walked.......as in used out legs......I hate to be cheeky but the amount of people using like motorised scooters was crazy, now again dont get me wrong if you had a broken leg etc.. or had a serious condition etc I can understand the use of these scooters but most of the people we saw wer just extremely over weight and the gentle walk around the parks would have burned some calories but yet they sat there in the scooters beeping at anyone walking to get out of there way and eating giant pretzels etc.........

 As other posters have mentioned, buffets give more bang for the buck.  Value is what Americans look for.  Dollar value, that is.  Health value isn't always so important.  Honestly, buffets aren't so bad to visit as long as you have some self-control.  That's the real problem in America.  Few people have enough self-control to eat a normal amount of food.  They want or feel the need to try everything and clean their plates.  Personally, I avoid most buffets just because I'm afrain the temptation will overwhelm me. 

When you're at a regular restaurant, the serving sizes are monsterous.  The key is to only eat what you need and take the rest home.  That way you're filling up, but your also still getting the value.  This isn't only a problem in the US.  In Germany the plates are huge, too.  I was shocked ot see how much food was served.

I like having free refills.  Again, you just have to have self-control to drink because you're thirstly, not because you can.  No free water??  That must have been in the amusement park because it's not normal in the US.  Usually, water is served and refilled along with whatever else you order and without you having to ask for it.  On self-serve drink set ups, water is usually an option also. 

Original Post by jenningermany:

I like having free refills.  Again, you just have to have self-control to drink because you're thirstly, not because you can.  No free water??  That must have been in the amusement park because it's not normal in the US.  Usually, water is served and refilled along with whatever else you order and without you having to ask for it.  On self-serve drink set ups, water is usually an option also. 

I think the person talking about the lack of free water was referring to how it is in Europe.  From my understanding and experience, people don't generally serve tap water so one must purchase bottled water.  Also, drinks in Europe are charged by glass/bottle/what have you and there are no free refills; this includes water.

Original Post by alibuch:

Because that's what the tourist industry pushes as one of the top place "you must go to".

All the travel programmes etc continually show Florida.


I didn't say there was any "harm" I just think there are much better places to visit.

I was just answering your question why Florida? I personally have never had any desire to go to florida, but I agree the vast majority of us lot when planning a trip to the States include it in the must see list.

There are 3 people (families) that I know of at my work are going to the States this year, can you guess where they are going?

I agree there is so much more to see than just Florida, but I guess people tend to go to places that are the most advertised.

Australia is now the most obese country, not the U.S.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article4171160.e ce

rebepi, that's interesting. I visited Australia a few years ago (I was there on 9/11). And I thought it was comparable to the US in terms of obesity. I expected all these gorgeous hard bodies (like blonde, surfer types) and while there were some, certainly not many. I traveled around the coast of Australia from Brisbane and the Gold Coast down to Sydney. I would definitely not argue with the US and Australia being on par with one another in terms of population's obesity.

I am from the US, originally upstate NY and now I live in Dallas, TX. There is a huge difference in the obesity epidemic across the US as well.

I haven't been to Europe or the UK in about 15 years but I don't remember seeing many obese folks anywhere, from Ireland to France to Greece and every where in between.

I thought southern CA was the top place that people visit...i always see tourists around, and we don;t have many obese either! I'm wondering where the original poster went

Original Post by misspriss316:

I thought southern CA was the top place that people visit...i always see tourists around, and we don;t have many obese either! I'm wondering where the original poster went

She went to amusement parks in Florida.

Original Post by amy_blue:

I haven't been to Europe or the UK in about 15 years but I don't remember seeing many obese folks anywhere, from Ireland to France to Greece and every where in between.

 You need to come back  things have changed in the UK with approx 70% of men being overweight or obese, 63% of women and with children I don't know the figures but it's called an epidemic.

The figures I found for the States were 65% of people are overweight and 31% are obese.

I think the difference is that there are high levels of obesity in the UK but the States has a higher level of morbidly obese.

Reading the OPs post I am assuming that it is morbidly obese that shocked her. The difference between the UK and the States is as yet the UK has not become accommodating to the MO our seats etc are made to fit an average person of around 70kg (154lbs) which isn't big, where as the States does everything in a much bigger scale than us, therefore your world around you is far more accommodating to those of a larger build. Even your hospitals accommodate it, where as ours don't. Our Dr's think nothing of saying your fat go on a diet. They can refuse to treat you, for weight related health problems if you are not making suitable effort to lose some of it. Our hospitals can refuse to admit/operate on you if your BMI is 30 or above. So although we are increasing in size we are still a very anti-fattest and criticizing nation of those who are overweight. 

But I think we should take a closer look at ourselves!

I live outside of Orlando, and I can say for a fact that there are alot more obese people here than anywhere else that I have ever lived.  I have lived all over the states. Some places are "fatter" than others.  Maine was pretty healthy, but Washington is more average while Florida is obese. 

I for one HATE the people that use scooters because they have allowed themselves to get to  such a size that they can no longer walk.  When I had knee surgery last year I finally ventured out to the grocery store and there were not any scooters.. Have you ever tried to shop with crutches and a shopping cart... I finally gave up when I saw an obese woman GET up and WALK across to the next isle to get what she needed.  I gave her a really dirty look with my crutches and left my cart in the middle of the isle so that she would have to move it out of her way to scoot around...  I had a legitimate need!

I wish that portion sizes were not so big here.  My Mom had a clean your plate policy when I was a kid and we very rarely ate out. Now that I am grown up and I do eat out, it is difficult.  I do end up taking more than half home with me. 

Yea.. Florida says it all.

I agree that the US is very regional.  I'm proud to say I am from the healtiest state in the US (Minnesota).  I recently lived in Georgia for a year (just north of Florida) and was shocked at many things.  The number of obese people, the lack of side walks/bike ways, the difficulty in finding skim milk, and many, many more.  Minnesota is  by no means perfect but it definietly has major improvements over Georgia and Flordia. 

I thought that we were all supposed to be influenced by the media to look skinny but this thread kinda says that we arent. Im from the UK and people here are generally quite slim. Thats not the truth for some of the population and in certain parts of the UK, but where im from we have one starbucks, 2 mc Donalds restaurants, and 3 health food stores. I think as the post above me says its all to do with convience and technology