Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by thatfrenchguy 1755 days ago
As someone who immigrated from France to the US, it’s pretty obvious why people in the US are obese: people don’t know / don’t have the time to know how to eat properly and eat junk food, all the time, at any hour, and don’t move around. It’s pretty obvious when you realize that there is a lot less overweight people in upper middle class areas.
2 comments

When did you do that? In last twenty years France has become one of the fattest countries in Europe. I was there in 2008 and 2019. Huge difference.

The upper middle class in USA is fatter than it used to be. Very few people actually lean as opposed to having much less fat. The class disparity is real but not the only explanation.

2014, I still go back annually. You have a large portion of the lower middle class that’s more overweight now but it’s not like in the US where you can be somewhere where it’s impossible to find healthy food for 100 miles, and where you can go inside a Walmart and almost everyone is overweight. There’s obviously some bias given I live in the Bay Area, I’m sure there are areas where upper middle class folks are more overweight.
People in france are doing the same thing now :) Mcdo is popular there too :) (not that I'm just blaming one fast food place)
even among people who say what you're saying - there's just so many things that raise insulin levels or contribute to insulin-resistance.

people assume it's sugar. and a lot of it is and it's the first thing people should cut back on.

but people are surprised zero-calorie artificial sweeteners and crystalized versions of stevia and monk fruit do.

people aren't even aware that omega6s PUFAs (which we're supposed to have a 1:1 ratio with omega3s, and are supposed to have both in fairly low levels) also impact insulin resistance

activity does, sleep does, things impact it positively like a wide range of plant foods or teas.

but more simply - without going into the whys or the science, if generally speaking people cut out A. Sugar and B. processed foods (thus removing a ton of salt and omega6s) people would be a million times better off.