"Paolo Pizzi" > wrote in message
om...

> Bottom line: there are OVER THREE TIMES more "severely obese"
> people in the US (13%) than in Europe (4%.)

But be very careful, as the old saw says, from confusing
correlation with causation. These numbers don't necessarily
mean that there is anything unique to the U.S. culture, or that
there is a particular "American food," that causes this. These
are POSSIBLE explanations, not conclusively shown from these
results. One other POSSIBLE explanation is that many Americans
enjoy a higher disposable income than those in other areas, and so
spend more time eating out. An earlier poster made the point
that there is certainly just as much "bad" food AVAILABLE
elsewhere - and it's not all McDonald's and similar American
exports; some of the worst examples I've seen in Europe were
"home-grown" burger chains. Keep in mind that, for example,
in China, going out to McDonald's or some such is considered
a relatively rare treat!

Bob M.