China's growing weight problem

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Another .99 cent heart attack

[heyjimi]

The Chinese definition of overweight, and your definition of overweight is definitely two different things.

 

My lao po always tells me how she is overweight and she weighs maybe 92 lbs. When I tell her she isn't, it is no use arguing because she is always right, so I trust whatever she says.

 

Just a little bit different standards there I assume, but again with all the KFC and McDonald's springing up over their, I would think that things will start to get dramatically different. Those places are always packed when I have been there, I could hardly ever find a seat, thus I didn't go very many times.

 

25% overweight? i didn't see that many overweight chinese people,on my two visits to Chongqing,even while visiting them crowded mc D's, but my wife has made comments,that she needs to lose weight,she doesn't,she is thin.and it's crazy,she can eat !!!!! but,she does a lot of walking.so maybe the chinese definition of overweight is different than ours.

 

jimi

[warpedbored]

I would guess that the vast majority of our sweet hearts gain 5 -10 pounds once they are here. Not so much change of diet as less exercise. We don't walk up 5 flights of stairs to our homes, walk to the bus stop or walk from store to store shopping. We drive everywhere we go and circle the parking lot 3 times to get closer to the door.

[NewDay2006]

 

 

I agree. 25% seems way too high. It could be that the percentage of overweight people is unevenly distributed, as it is in the USA, but I doubt it.

I totally agree, but I did see a few guys who were eating a family's share of the bounty

Edited July 8, 2008 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[IllinoisDave]

I would guess that the vast majority of our sweet hearts gain 5 -10 pounds once they are here. Not so much change of diet as less exercise. We don't walk up 5 flights of stairs to our homes, walk to the bus stop or walk from store to store shopping. We drive everywhere we go and circle the parking lot 3 times to get closer to the door.

Bingo. My wife grew up in Shanghai and lived in Shenzhen for the last 15 years. Even with public transportation and taxis, she was used to walking ALOT. When I suggest she get out and walk around our neighborhood, she says "Too boring, nothing to see." She has a point I guess. When we were in Shanghai I ate like a pig and never gained weight due to all the walking we were doing. But it never seemed like we were doing all that much because of all the visual and aromatic stimulation along the way.

[lostness]

I would guess that the vast majority of our sweet hearts gain 5 -10 pounds once they are here. Not so much change of diet as less exercise. We don't walk up 5 flights of stairs to our homes, walk to the bus stop or walk from store to store shopping. We drive everywhere we go and circle the parking lot 3 times to get closer to the door.

Bingo. My wife grew up in Shanghai and lived in Shenzhen for the last 15 years. Even with public transportation and taxis, she was used to walking ALOT. When I suggest she get out and walk around our neighborhood, she says "Too boring, nothing to see." She has a point I guess. When we were in Shanghai I ate like a pig and never gained weight due to all the walking we were doing. But it never seemed like we were doing all that much because of all the visual and aromatic stimulation along the way.

 

Nothing to see in Illinois??!!! But there's.......uh, well, what about.........yeah, maybe she's right!

[IllinoisDave]

I would guess that the vast majority of our sweet hearts gain 5 -10 pounds once they are here. Not so much change of diet as less exercise. We don't walk up 5 flights of stairs to our homes, walk to the bus stop or walk from store to store shopping. We drive everywhere we go and circle the parking lot 3 times to get closer to the door.

Bingo. My wife grew up in Shanghai and lived in Shenzhen for the last 15 years. Even with public transportation and taxis, she was used to walking ALOT. When I suggest she get out and walk around our neighborhood, she says "Too boring, nothing to see." She has a point I guess. When we were in Shanghai I ate like a pig and never gained weight due to all the walking we were doing. But it never seemed like we were doing all that much because of all the visual and aromatic stimulation along the way.

 

Nothing to see in Illinois??!!! But there's.......uh, well, what about.........yeah, maybe she's right!

You've seen one corn field...

[Mick]

It's coming, we all know it. The price of prosperity is having a 36" wide butt. Seriously, I see it (weight gain) among my many Chinese friends in the US who no longer walk long walks, walk up stairs etc and have the American lifestyle that really doesn't offer much alternatives to taking an elevator or driving a car.

 

As far as China goes, (where's the head scratchin' emoticon) dern, everyone is skinny. Even those with a full figure would be considered thin back in the US.

 

While we're at it, is it just me being in China or do the women here seem more feminine? Knee length girlie girl dresses everywhere. Just seems the ladies here really enjoy being a woman...

 

My neck is sore and it's late here... goodnight.

 

Dennis, living in China I quickly learned you don't have to strain your neck looking at all those beautiful women with their girlie girl dresses and skirts....no matter which direction you are facing, there are usually five or six at least.

 

No need to keep turning your head. B)

[Guest WenDylan]

It's coming, we all know it. The price of prosperity is having a 36" wide butt. Seriously, I see it (weight gain) among my many Chinese friends in the US who no longer walk long walks, walk up stairs etc and have the American lifestyle that really doesn't offer much alternatives to taking an elevator or driving a car.

 

As far as China goes, (where's the head scratchin' emoticon) dern, everyone is skinny. Even those with a full figure would be considered thin back in the US.

 

While we're at it, is it just me being in China or do the women here seem more feminine? Knee length girlie girl dresses everywhere. Just seems the ladies here really enjoy being a woman...

 

My neck is sore and it's late here... goodnight.

 

Dennis, living in China I quickly learned you don't have to strain your neck looking at all those beautiful women with their girlie girl dresses and skirts....no matter which direction you are facing, there are usually five or six at least.

 

No need to keep turning your head. B)

 

Haha!

 

I live in Oklahoma and there is nothing here but cows... I mean... well yeah, those in the fields across from my house, but that's not what I was referring to.

 

I am thinking of ways to help Wendy keep the same daily walking activities when she is here. I don't want her to lose the energy she has from living where she does now. I definitely can't provide a walk up 27 stories to any work place here, let alone another walk up to our home. I have a single story house and I think the tallest building in Oklahoma City for the time being is maybe 14 stories, maybe.

 

I don't mind she has any American food though. I am not expecting Wendy to have that ideal stick figure forever. I think when we met by accident I was so much more attracted to who she was, then we I actually met her and she just absolutely stunning to me, it was just a bonus. Actually I prefer she is happy and can have anything she could desire.

 

Actually I am pretty thin though, so her family was always sticking food in my face. Wendy does a good job of that too. I thought McDonalds was pretty cheap there, if you consider a meal here is about $5, and the same meal there in USD equivalent is about $2. I usually had a chicken sandwich for a snack when we were walking around, or a chocolate milkshake. Just to have something other than fruits and rice every now and then. Especially since I couldn't get anything like outside of GZ.

 

By the time I got home I actually gained over 10 pounds!

[Corbin]

The Chinese definition of overweight, and your definition of overweight is definitely two different things.

 

My lao po always tells me how she is overweight and she weighs maybe 92 lbs. When I tell her she isn't, it is no use arguing because she is always right, so I trust whatever she says.

 

Just a little bit different standards there I assume, but again with all the KFC and McDonald's springing up over their, I would think that things will start to get dramatically different. Those places are always packed when I have been there, I could hardly ever find a seat, thus I didn't go very many times.

 

25% overweight? i didn't see that many overweight chinese people,on my two visits to Chongqing,even while visiting them crowded mc D's, but my wife has made comments,that she needs to lose weight,she doesn't,she is thin.and it's crazy,she can eat !!!!! but,she does a lot of walking.so maybe the chinese definition of overweight is different than ours.

 

jimi

Yes what is overweight to them is not to us. But I fear they will soon start to be truly overweight with the fast pace they are taking on by becoming more western in many ways......

[Guest WenDylan]

I'm more concerned for our own country. It seems like we have problems all over the place, and worse than any weigh epidemic, or food crisis, the oil and gasoline we depend on is about the rip our nation apart. Quite frankly, it is too frightening for me to even think about it. I know that everyday it gets more expensive to drive, and even if I take a vacation, airline tickets are higher because they are compensating for raising oil cost themselves. Scary thoughts.

[Reddragon75]

I don't remember seeing very many overweight people when I was in Nanning. But ...of course...because of McDiarrhea's and all those other western fast food places, it is inevitable to happen.

 

My SO, thankfully, doesn't eat at those places very much. I do think that the younger generation over there will end up fat like us. They are adopting our bad eating habits.

 

I mean...I am not skinny by any means. But, I am not "fat" either. I exercise fairly regularly and lift weights.

My SO thinks she is fat too. When she tells me this, I have to laugh. She is so worried that she will get fat when she comes here and gets "Americanized". She exercises regularly now. I told her that there are many gyms here and we could even work out together if she wanted to.

 

I am not worried about it though. Yeah...she is beautiful, but I didn't just fall in love with her physical appearance. At the risk of sounding too sappy....I will love her no matter what she looks like after eating greasy fried chicken(my favorite American dish), and other fried foods. B)

 

It is funny though...when I was there she kept asking me if I wanted to eat at one of the fast food places...lol. I just told her..."No honey, I am in China....I am here to eat Chinese food."....lol.

 

Just another quick note. I was so worried about getting sick from eating in China. I didn't have any problems the whole time I was there, but I have had food poisoning 3 TIMES here in my city...lol.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Reddragon75 (see edit history)

[rogerluli]

I was so worried about getting sick from eating in China. I didn't have any problems the whole time I was there, but I have had food poisoning 3 TIMES here in my city...lol. B)

 

 

See that proves it... China IS safer than the US...

[Corbin]

I was so worried about getting sick from eating in China. I didn't have any problems the whole time I was there, but I have had food poisoning 3 TIMES here in my city...lol.

 

 

See that proves it... China IS safer than the US... B)

Kind of funny each time I got back from my two trips in China I ended up having the runs. But when I was there not a problem.

Strange huh........

[IllinoisDave]

 

Just another quick note. I was so worried about getting sick from eating in China. I didn't have any problems the whole time I was there, but I have had food poisoning 3 TIMES here in my city...lol.

In three trips, aside from some serious overindulging at a hotpot place, I had ZERO problems except for the one time we ate at Mickey Deez.