^ Whenever I go back to visit the states I sit in awe over how large a meal is at restaurants. Heh, my husband actually took a few photos to show some people back over here in the UK the first time he went to the states with me.
I think another big problem, aside from the insane portion sizes, is how expensive fresh food is at stores. When I was staying in the states for a little while this past year I had to stop buying fresh food. It was ridiculous how expensive it was in comparison to uber cheap ready-made frozen meals. The quality of the fresh food wasn't the greatest too. Eating out is also so cheap.
I believe the lack of general exercise makes a difference too. I'm not necessarily talking about going to the gym or for a jog, but just walking. In the UK I am always walking to stores, the pub, for the hell of it, etc. In the US I would be taking a car because the infrastructure of many places ignores the needs of pedestrians. Also, it's just the norm. Instead of walking eight minutes up the road to go to a friends house like I do now, I would be driving there in the US. Add the huge distance you have to travel most places in the US, it's no wonder people are programmed to use their car to even go to the quickie store .3 miles down the road. The average car owner in America spends 500 to 1,000 hours per year behind the wheel. That's equivalent of between one and two full-time university semesters.
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