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[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (20 children)

It's a stereotype pretentious Americans hold.

Smoking is taboo here, so it's a luxury Europeans can afford to indulge in (in our eyes.) Obviously you're all so educated and modern, all you do is think deep thoughts and lounge around instead of working like plebs 😉 Balconies are also unusual here and are a sign of wealth, but they're everywhere in Europe.

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (19 children)

I wished smoking were taboo here too. To be honest, I'm scared as fuck my mother is going to develop cancer, especially now in her 60's. Americans don't smoke, here if full of women smokers. Didn't know about balcony beign rare in USA. My parents home has a superlong balcony you can get a walk all around the house lol Here having an indipendnet home with a garden is considered luxury

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Here having an indipendnet home with a garden is considered luxury.

Different things are more expensive in different places, I guess. We have lots of land, so a house with a yard is cheap.

Apartment buildings and sometimes houses (especially old houses) have balconies, but you always pay extra to have them and it's a way to show off being wealthy.

My parents home has a superlong balcony you can get a walk all around the house.

Oh that's very fancy! Must have cost so much!

To be honest, I'm scared as fuck my mother is going to develop cancer.

That dread of what the future might bring with our parents ☹️ I'd say that's the main reason it's so taboo here. People think it's dirty and you're risking cancer by doing it. They also think you're giving them cancer by smoking near them, so people aren't shy about harassing smokers. There are smokers here, it's just looked down on as shameful and low-class. That also makes smoking look rebellious and cool, so the cycle continues.

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, while here indipendent house costs a lot. Living in apartment is the norm. In USA I've heard raising kids in apartment is considered bad lol

Oh that's very fancy! Must have cost so much!

Yeah we rich LMAO

I know my parents are going to die one day, which as only child is very scary to think about. But seems like increase the odds of dying earlier when you smoke. She has been smoking since she was 16 or something. I had my first cigarette at 10 I guess, but never took the habit. I've been raised with people smoking around me, not healthy. Obesity makes you die early too, but USA celebrates it lol

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (16 children)

It's bizarre how our leftists encourage obesity. What are they smoking? Lol.

It's so expensive to remain thin here, only the very wealthy can afford to do so. You have to buy higher quality food and be able to afford expensive gym memberships- plus have the free time to use them, which working people don't have.

We recently had a congresswoman banned from Twitter for saying that the government should be focusing on anti-obesity campaigns rather than mass vaccination:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/marjorie-taylor-greene-says-anti-covid-efforts-should-focus-more-on-obesity-less-on-vaccine/ar-AAMnvxF

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

My problems is like gaining weight. I'm a bit underweight according to BMI, but I'm fine. You should start eating mediterranean home made food, rather than processed stuff. It isn't expensive to eat healthy. It's about portions.

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

I'm not obese, lol!

But also, it doesn't work that way here. Our obesity epidemic has to do with lack of worker's rights, the cost of food, the planning of cities, and lack of public education about home economics. The government could cut the number of obese people in half in a decade or so just by limiting work hours for salaried workers.

Americans did not become fat until the late 80s, and it is directly linked to 70s and 80s government changes in labor and agricultural policy. Being fat is shameful and painful, Americans don't do it on purpose.

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

Did not say you're obese lol Yeah, i figured out it is about different lifestyles. I don't think the government seem very interested in the matter. Maybe if you get universal healthcare, they will care more, since then the cost of health would be public. It's that the USA government is very capitalistic orientated. The interest of corporations come before the interests of common people.

[–]usehername 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

It's partly the sedentary lifestyles, but the real problem is the restaurant/fast food, which is very calorie-dense, rich in fat and sugar (high fructose corn syrup, a type of sugar, is extremely cheap because corn is very cheap to grow; corn is used as a filler in many processed products). That stuff is delicious lol, but contrary to popular belief, vegetables are much cheaper than fast food. I'm sure you know about fattening food as an Italian lol, though I hear the food in Italy isn't nearly as fattening as our Italian-style American food, which is all cheese, bread, butter, and pasta of course. The U.S. has an over-eating epidemic. The older generation is eating the same portions of fast food, but over time, the foods have gotten richer, hence they are technically eating more. No one knows how to cook, and many people consider it a waste of time (contrary to Italy and Spain, where I believe cooking and eating together is considered a nice family activity?) so it's common to eat out a lot. The most common home-cooked meals are mostly meat, pasta, or contain tons of cheese. The average obese American has no idea how much they overeat. A close family member of mine is in the highest class of obesity. She has no idea how to cook, makes herself absolutely revolting amalgamations of food in the crock pot once a week and freezes it to eat the rest of the week. Obviously, eating like this is complete suffering, so she always craves delicious fast food, and I think eats more of it than she admits to me.

Your people may get cancer from smoking, but obesity also causes cancer :( Anyways, my main point was that it's not cheaper to eat fast food in the U.S., but a ton of people believe that, especially poor people. But vegetables, fruits, rice, and beans are very cheap; meat and premade foods are very expensive. Cheese is a little expensive. It seems like no one wants to take personal responsibility for becoming obese, and it's true that several industries make a ton of money off of it so they encourage it, but at the end of the day, it is possible to be a healthy weight in the U.S., and it's also cheaper, not only because the food is cheaper, but you will save on healthcare costs. The myth that it's "expensive to be thin in the U.S." only serves to benefit those predatory industries.

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

That was also I thought too. Vegetable, fruits pasta and such are way less expensive than red meat of pre-made stuff. So I don't buy this idea that they're fat because of money. A mediterranean diet is pretty cheap. Like 100 euro at month is enough to feed a person. We use lots of olive oil whih is healthy, not much butter.

[–]usehername 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Yeah, for some reason though, a lot of people believe this myth. I think it helps them avoid personal responsibility.

Yeah, we eat butter and vegetable oil, which is cheaper than olive oil but less healthy because of the way it's processed.

Pasta is fairly cheap here, but only the dried stuff. Do you eat a lot of dry pasta, or is it mostly fresh in Italy?

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Dried. Barilla. Olive oil is not very costly and healthy, while others type of oil are high in saturated stuff, and very bad for cardiac health long term

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Maybe if you get universal healthcare, they will care more, since then the cost of health would be public.

Another kettle of fish! No one hates the American government more than Americans.

You're bringing up some of the biggest, most complicated political fights in the U.S. It all ties together at the end of the day.

[–]usehername 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

It's so expensive to remain thin here, only the very wealthy can afford to do so.

That's a myth. Vegetables, fruits, rice, and beans are the cheapest foods you can buy, and if you have a good diet, exercise is not that important; you can get away with taking short walks or simply having a job that requires you to move around a little.

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Please refrain from, yet again, picking an argument with me unprovoked. You don't know what you're talking about.

only the very wealthy can afford to do so.

If you are interested in what I have to say- how nice!

[–]usehername 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Please refrain from, yet again, picking an argument with me unprovoked. You don't know what you're talking about.

I am literally just stating a fact. If you aren't prepared to be challenged when you post something that isn't true, why are you even posting on this forum? This is not a personal attack. I am simply telling you that what you said is not true.

If you are interested in what I have to say- how nice!

What do you mean? I clearly was interested, or I wouldn't have responded.

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

You know exactly what I think of you, I've been blunt about it.

To answer your... statement... fresh vegetables are not cheap in comparison to a lot of grain and dairy staples, especially shelf stable ones. The most important ingredient in middle and working class peoples' diets is time, which they lack. Cooking from scratch is time consuming and is also physical labor, people who work 60+ hours per week and also have other household chores have to budget their time and energy just like everything else. The main reason people prior to the 80s ate at home so much was the prevalence of married women who didn't work outside of the home.

There's also the issue of equipment and storage, cooking at home can get expensive fairly quickly with all of the accoutrements it takes to make a full dinner at home every night. Then you have to have dishes to store it in and a way to reheat it all, unless you're a trained chef who can do three portioned meals a day.

There are many middle and working class families who do this successfully, but they're usual religious fundamentalists and they accomplish it by having the wife be a full-time housekeeper. This is actually how it is in Europe too (minus the religion.) I studied abroad in France and was shocked to see that out of the dozen or so French students we exchanged with only one had a mother who worked. Some worked part-time, but they all cooked and cleaned much more than American moms I've known.

So, there's my opinion. I think a lot of people from wealthy backgrounds lack life experience to understand why people from lower social classes make the decisions that they do. It's because they're in a different situation with different contributing factors, not because there's a simple trick to success they're stupidly missing out on.

[–]usehername 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

You know exactly what I think of you, I've been blunt about it.

Yes, you've called me a lot of things, including a slur, which you didn't even get a warning for.

So... I'm guessing from this reply you're assuming I'm rich and don't work? That's false. I support myself, go to school (on scholarship), cook, and do household chores. Depends what you mean by "cooking from scratch". I don't make my own pasta or bread, though it would be much cheaper in the long run if I did, so I don't eat a lot of it. Cooking is an acquired skill, and the more you practice, the faster it becomes. It's really not that hard to cook some rice/dry pasta (especially ramen noodles) and throw some veggies in the pan, or put a couple things in a casserole dish and throw it in the oven, or heat up some leftovers.

fresh vegetables are not cheap in comparison to a lot of grain and dairy staples, especially shelf stable ones

Fresh vegetables are cheaper than dairy, and what dairy product is shelf-stable? Canned milk? Rice is indeed cheaper than fresh vegetables, but is the same price as dry beans, and fresh veg is much cheaper than fast food. A 10lb sack of potatoes is $3, 4lb of jalapeño peppers is $1, a 3lb bag of carrots is $2, and other local veg is around that price or cheaper.

cooking at home can get expensive fairly quickly with all of the accoutrements it takes to make a full dinner at home every night.

I have a pan and two pots.

Then you have to have dishes to store it in and a way to reheat it all

You're not being honest here. The vast majority of obese adults in the U.S. aren't too poor to afford dishes or electricity. This is a barrier for the extremely poor and homeless, but not the average person.

There are many middle and working class families who do this successfully, but they're usual religious fundamentalists and they accomplish it by having the wife be a full-time housekeeper.

Well call me a middle-to-working class family who is a religious fundamentalist with a full-time housekeeper wife. No, seriously though, having that makes it a breeze, but not having that doesn't mean cooking simple meals at home is impossible, it just means that making very elaborate meals is more difficult. Most meals only take about 20min max. You're just going to have to be okay with not eating that much meat or dairy and eating lots of filling veg like potatoes, beans, and carrots, which may not really be that delicious compared to restaurant/fast food, but is much healthier and cheaper.

This is actually how it is in Europe too (minus the religion.)

Not sure why you would say this, as Europe is very Catholic, but not really relevant.

I studied abroad in France and was shocked to see that out of the dozen or so French students we exchanged with only one had a mother who worked.

And how many years ago was that?

I think a lot of people from wealthy backgrounds lack life experience to understand why people from lower social classes make the decision that they do.

I agree with this statement, but I can also tell you're implying that I'm just some rich brat who just thinks "poors are lazy/stupid". It's really not worth arguing this point with you because think I'm a liar for reasons unknown to me, but I will say this: there is a culture of eating out and not cooking in the U.S. The better you are at cooking, the cheaper and quicker your home-cooked meals become. Cooking has a very steep learning curve, and a lot of people never learn. Also, many people who do learn to cook, only learn to cook very unhealthy meals that are mostly meat, some bread/starch, and dairy products.

not because there's a simple trick to success they're stupidly missing out on.

I never called anyone stupid, but the fact remains that what you said is a myth. A person may think, "wow, a $1 hamburger is so cheap!", but doesn't understand that for $3, they could get two weeks worth of potatoes.