Nearly half a billion people globally now have diabetes

[Bamaman]

I know we have posters here who are British, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders.

Any of you care to speak up to confirm that you do not eat much due to high prices of food?

PS. It's been more than 20 years since I was to Australia and New Zealand, but I have been to Canada more recently. I am afraid to say, I do not see much difference in girth size of Canadians vs. Americans. And I have read that Canadians also have an obesity problem. I have not researched into their diabetic condition.

Last time I was in Nova Scotia, the sales taxes were 15% and the cheapest beer was $12.99 a six pack. Groceries were out of sight. My ex-MegaCorp had to send some of my buddies to Australia to work, and they couldn't believe the cost of living. I've been to England many times, and restaurant food was about 40% more than at home. Our income just goes so much farther--allowing us to eat out more.

Try Norway, Denmark and Finland for high food prices. Coke--$4.00. Cup of coffee in a 7/11--over $4.00. Didn't see any fat people there.

Last trip was to Spain & France, and the citizens were pretty fit.

 

[NW-Bound]

Last time I was in Nova Scotia, the sales taxes were 15% and the cheapest beer was $12.99 a six pack. Groceries were out of sight. My ex-MegaCorp had to send some of my buddies to Australia to work, and they couldn't believe the cost of living. I've been to England many times, and restaurant food was about 40% more than at home. Our income just goes so much farther--allowing us to eat out more.

Try Norway, Denmark and Finland for high food prices. Coke--$4.00. Cup of coffee in a 7/11--over $4.00. Didn't see any fat people there.

Last trip was to Spain & France, and the citizens were pretty fit.

Food prices in Scandinavian countries are indeed out of sight. And yes, they are generally higher outside of the US. However, I maintain that Europeans are getting more rotund than they used to be, even if they may appear fit relative to Americans. Let me just say I am not impressed by the average person I saw there as I used to be.

 

[audreyh1]

The British are as bad off as the Americans. And I think the Canadians about the same. I can't speak for the other countries although I think Australia has a lot of trouble too.

Canada is about the same as the US, but UK and Australia are quite a bit lower.

It’s the % adult obesity rate that’s similar among the countries.

So somehow India has twice the diabetes rate of the UK yet far far lower obesity rate.

Same with China - one of the very lowest obesity rates in the world, yet currently the highest diabetes rate in the world.

 

[braumeister]

I maintain that Europeans are getting more rotund than they used to be

That's because they're all learning English in school. See post #94 in this thread.

 

[Chuckanut]

I still remember an incidence back in 2003 in Italy. We were in Sorrento, walking down a long sloped street called Luigi de Maio to go to the marina to take a ferry to the island of Capri. We saw a group of elementary students, led by a teacher on a field trip. They were going in the reverse direction up the street, while we were going down.

There was a chubby girl, who could not keep up with her class mates. She was crying, and the teacher stayed behind with her to console her. The rest of the class was moving on, chattering between themselves. I did not see any kid taunting or bullying the poor girl. She just felt isolated.

Back then, which was only 20 years ago, I saw few overweight people in Europe. In recent trips, I saw that they were catching up with Americans, though still a few steps behind. Slim people were becoming a minority.

Your story reminds me of my first trip to Sorrento about 15 years ago.

A wedding was going on near my hotel. I watched the wedding party from my room and noticed -from the back - a very attractive lady wearing a dress that clung very nicely to her lovely body. I assumed she was a young bride's maid or such. Actually, she was a middle aged woman, probably 50-something. As I scanned the crowd I noticed that very few of the women even qualified as 'a few extra pound' much less over weight. The men were in pretty good shape also. Though a good number had a very nice [-]beer[/-] wine belly.

Gosh, I hope our American food does not mess them up also.

 

[Chuckanut]

Last time I was in Nova Scotia, the sales taxes were 15% and the cheapest beer was $12.99 a six pack. Groceries were out of sight. My ex-MegaCorp had to send some of my buddies to Australia to work, and they couldn't believe the cost of living. I've been to England many times, and restaurant food was about 40% more than at home. Our income just goes so much farther--allowing us to eat out more.

Try Norway, Denmark and Finland for high food prices. Coke--$4.00. Cup of coffee in a 7/11--over $4.00. Didn't see any fat people there.

Last trip was to Spain & France, and the citizens were pretty fit.

Are you certain? All the British TV shows I watch show them constantly going to some pub for food and a pint, or joining friends for a quick halvsie (sp?) at the local pub, or buying custard tarts for a snack, and enjoying a morning fry-up at breakfast. Then there is the constant chowing down on fish-n-chips. How do they afford it?

 

[karen1972]

I still remember an incidence back in 2003 in Italy. We were in Sorrento, walking down a long sloped street called Luigi de Maio to go to the marina to take a ferry to the island of Capri. We saw a group of elementary students, led by a teacher on a field trip. They were going in the reverse direction up the street, while we were going down.

There was a chubby girl, who could not keep up with her class mates. She was crying, and the teacher stayed behind with her to console her. The rest of the class was moving on, chattering between themselves. I did not see any kid taunting or bullying the poor girl. She just felt isolated.

Back then, which was only 20 years ago, I saw few overweight people in Europe. In recent trips, I saw that they were catching up with Americans, though still a few steps behind. Slim people were becoming a minority.

Reminds me back in 1996 I went to Ireland and there was only 1 fast food restaurant anywhere nearby. By 1998 I was expatting there and there was now at least a dozen in a small area of town. I made a comment about that and he was like yes its a problem, the kids are getting fatter, so much so we had to order new desks because the desks they had used for decades for the grade schoolers weren't fitting the average kid. In America it isn't of course just the type of food but the quantity because everyone I knew that was here from overseas was always ordering the appetizer or small plate because they constantly made comments about I don't understand how anyone can eat the portions these restaurants serve.

 

[Letj]

Last time I was in Nova Scotia, the sales taxes were 15% and the cheapest beer was $12.99 a six pack. Groceries were out of sight. My ex-MegaCorp had to send some of my buddies to Australia to work, and they couldn't believe the cost of living. I've been to England many times, and restaurant food was about 40% more than at home. Our income just goes so much farther--allowing us to eat out more.



Try Norway, Denmark and Finland for high food prices. Coke--$4.00. Cup of coffee in a 7/11--over $4.00. Didn't see any fat people there.



Last trip was to Spain & France, and the citizens were pretty fit.

So true. Whenever I travel abroad, I am amazed how cheap eating out is in the US compared to elsewhere. It’s cheap to eat out here and the portions are humongous compared to most places.

 

[NW-Bound]

Canada is about the same as the US, but UK and Australia are quite a bit lower.

It’s the % adult obesity rate that’s similar among the countries.

So somehow India has twice the diabetes rate of the UK yet far far lower obesity rate.

Same with China - one of the very lowest obesity rates in the world, yet currently the highest diabetes rate in the world.

Maybe it's because India and China now consume more sugar, in addition to the carb, meaning rice, that they traditionally eat?

 

[audreyh1]

Maybe it's because India and China now consume more sugar, in addition to the carb, meaning rice, that they traditionally eat?

Yes, at least for China - much increased sugar consumption.

Lots more American style fast food/junk food in urban areas in both countries.

 

[bloom2708]

Maybe it's because India and China now consume more sugar, in addition to the carb, meaning rice, that they traditionally eat?

Ha. My 107 year old grandma still called it "sugar diabetes".

Insulin resistance is caused by fat blocking the insulin ability to get into the cells. Your body produces insulin but it can't fight through. (T2).

T1 is your pancreas no longer produces insulin. A virus or something caused the body to attack itself.

Now, sugar mixed with fat, cholesterol and salt likely do make a tasty/un-resist-able combination for most folk.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here's an obesity chart for Europe. Note that it ends in 2016, hence is outdated.

 

[Bamaman]

So true. Whenever I travel abroad, I am amazed how cheap eating out is in the US compared to elsewhere. It’s cheap to eat out here and the portions are humongous compared to most places.

It may sound terrible, but when we travel, we seldom eat the local foods. Our 9 year old wants McDonalds just about every meal. We often eat Chinese or Thai foods--more often than at home. Or take out pizza.

What I cannot believe is the amount of food that an Italian family eats on a big family Saturday night meal. I don't know where those little people put the food and drink.

It still seems strange to see Fatima, a Chinese lady, speaking German in her husband's restaurant in Hotel Kranenturm in Bacharach, Germany.

I did find Spain and Hungary to have good food at very favorable prices--much cheaper than most of Europe.

 

[RAE]

Insulin resistance is caused by fat blocking the insulin ability to get into the cells. Your body produces insulin but it can't fight through. (T2).

It's not a matter of "fat blocking insulin" from getting into cells. Here is a more detailed description of how insulin resistance develops:


The food you eat is broken down into blood sugar.

• Blood sugar enters your bloodstream, which signals the pancreas to release insulin.
• Insulin helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells so it can be used for energy.
• Insulin also signals the liver to store blood sugar for later use.
• Blood sugar enters cells, and levels in the bloodstream decrease, signaling insulin to decrease too.
• Lower insulin levels alert the liver to release stored blood sugar so energy is always available, even if you haven’t eaten for a while.

That’s when everything works smoothly. But this finely tuned system can quickly get out of whack, as follows:

• A lot of blood sugar enters the bloodstream.
• The pancreas pumps out more insulin to get blood sugar into cells.
• Over time, cells stop responding to all that insulin—they’ve become insulin resistant.
• The pancreas keeps making more insulin to try to make cells respond.
• Eventually, the pancreas can’t keep up, and blood sugar keeps rising.