this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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There’s actually a phenomenon where Americans move abroad, and suddenly start losing a ton of weight. Not because they consciously changed their eating habits, but simply because the food that is available in their stores and restaurants is healthier.
American grocery stores tend to prioritize convenience and unhealthy foods. You have to really search to find anything that is worthwhile, even when the store is packed full of food. There’s a ton of variety in American grocery stores, (Europeans are always baffled by the entire aisle dedicated to breakfast cereals) but basically none of it is healthy. So Americans naturally end up buying lots of unhealthy shit, simply because it’s all they realistically have access to.
But then that gets flipped on its head when those Americans move abroad. Suddenly, the stores they’re shopping at aren’t full of junk. And so they naturally start losing lots of weight. Many Europeans assume that Americans are simply complacent with their weight, but the reality is that the entire infrastructure surrounding them is singularly focused on keeping them fat.
walking and biking for evertday errands make a big impact too.
I actually made a comment addressing the car-centric layouts (and how it is basically impossible to walk anywhere in many parts of America) elsewhere in the thread here.
That can be a serious challenge for large parts of the USA. Growing up, the nearest grocery store to my father's house was nearly three miles, up a narrow and busy highway. Biking was possible, but definitely a little harrowing. Walking was prohibitively time-consuming. And that's in a relatively dense New England town. I've lived places out west where it was over an hour to drive to the store.
To me New England has no excuse. Where I live, measured directly, my fav grocer is .6miles from my house. Tell me why I have to take the higgway, jist for one exit, to get there. Walmart and Aldi are basically across the street, and yet, it is not walkable. the road you must cross is 5 lanes and 45mph which is exceeded as if the road is a highway.
If Mcdonalds can tear down, AND rebuild their stupid store in 6mos for no other reason to make it a grey box, I think our local civic engineers can do better.
Maybe out west will be hard, but New England literally has no excuse. The attempts at bike lanes ive seen in CT are fucking laughable. Its like they are trying to make it so people dont use them.
All the people with money have cars because its so impossible there to live without them. They also see themselves as paying all the taxes. Their cars are sunk costs of tens of thousands of dollars. They see improving infrastructure as taking their money to help other lazier shittier people. The only way it looks attractive is if it can be taking federal dollars to line the pockets of a minority of rich people and "create jobs" by which they mean pay 1 dollar to the company so a penny can filter into the hands of the peons accidentally.
I'd be curious if there might also be a cultural aspect at play.
Apparently in America, their portions tend to be quite large, since the expectation is to get as much for your money as possible. Anything you can't stomach can then be taken home to finish another day.
Whereas many other places don't tend to do that. Food served in the restaurant is to be eaten there, and wanting a take-away container to take your meal home means paying extra for the container.
Yes, also walking to the store, walking to work. I don't use my car much - arranged my life so that I can get everywhere I need to, mostly, without driving but that is unusual as fuck where I live, everyone else in my office arrives by car. I am not usually the only bike in the rack at the grocery but maybe 3, 4 bikes and a hundred cars in the lot. No bike rack at my doctors' offices, nor dentist, nor aesthetician. None at restaurants.
Walking a lot or even biking on e-bike everywhere like I do, makes a difference in what you can eat without getting fat. But also I cook at home, from ingredients, do make sweet stuff for the kids & husband but don't like it much myself. Grow some of our food, and lunch biggest meal.
I don't think it's impossible here, to have a reasonable lifestyle, I do it and am not an unusual person, not super rich or super ambitious or determined. I do think it's more difficult and you have to be intentional AND either be lucky (city grew up around me) or flush with money, to create a life that is the "fifteen minute bubble" with everything nearby.
So did I; unfortunately that means not having to leave my house. So I offset that with self-mandated walks and runs.
I actually made a comment about walking elsewhere in the thread, just a few minutes ago.
I saw that recently in a video about food in Japan. Japanese people going to Western countries and gaining like 25 pounds in a couple of months, then returning to Japan and shedding it within weeks.
Sugar content, portion size, nutrition vs empty calories and other factors...