Stereotypes in America, true or not

[Neonred 3,562]

My wife is surprised how many blacks and hispanics there are in the US.

[Moomin 292]

As others have mentioned, health care. My MIL has just finished chemo treatment. Everything surfaced from religious people believing the treatment was the devil's work to recommend seeing a dentist about her teeth because that might help on the cancer(.. Of course?), onto the lack of health care provided, at least in my opinion.

It utterly ticks me off when kids get candy as a treat all the time. Every place I've been to there's at least one kid asking "if I eat 2 bites of this potato/burger/french fries/etc can I have a bag of gummy bears?", and the scenario always ends with a kid leaving a plate with real food only to eat whatever dessert is available. I'm sorry if I step on anyone's toes here but that's simply nasty to teach at an early age to skip the nutrition and get a treat at the same time.

EDIT: Gummy bears are my avatar, I know.

Edited January 10, 2012 by moomin

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

People tend to see what they expect when it comes to stereotypes.. The original poster was Australian and there has also been a lot of UK posters so we will pick on them.. On fat people: By average weight (average OVER weight) the fattest country in the world was the United States until 2008.. That was the year that Australia took the lead. Australia also has the greatest percentage of population in the obese category as of 2008..

Most lists cited since then moved to percentage of the population over weight (not just obese) which dropped them back to respectable levels The US has fallen to #9 on this list (thanks Kuwait for getting fatter and pushing us down another notch this year!) and Germany looks to push us to #10 next year (we beat them by 2 tenths of one percent this year).. Nothing to be proud of as most of the others in the top 10 are tiny countries but much of Europe, Russia, and the Middle east are coming up fast.. By the way congrats to Canada who is no longer in the top 10.

The people mentioning noticing more fat people: While only a bit more than 6 out of 10 people in the UK are over weight in the 2011 list, slightly less than 7 out of 10 Americans are.. I'm not sure how open mouthed in amazement I would be at the difference when I was walking down the street .. Yeah we are fat but so are you.

http://www.health-fitness.com.au/australia-now-fattest-country-in-the-world/

[DiZZyLoX 114]

My wife is surprised how many blacks and hispanics there are in the US.

lolol!!!!

[scotinmass 588]

People tend to see what they expect when it comes to stereotypes.. The original poster was Australian and there has also been a lot of UK posters so we will pick on them.. On fat people: By average weight (average OVER weight) the fattest country in the world was the United States until 2008.. That was the year that Australia took the lead. Australia also has the greatest percentage of population in the obese category as of 2008..

Most lists cited since then moved to percentage of the population over weight (not just obese) which dropped them back to respectable levels The US has fallen to #9 on this list (thanks Kuwait for getting fatter and pushing us down another notch this year!) and Germany looks to push us to #10 next year (we beat them by 2 tenths of one percent this year).. Nothing to be proud of as most of the others in the top 10 are tiny countries but much of Europe, Russia, and the Middle east are coming up fast.. By the way congrats to Canada who is no longer in the top 10.

The people mentioning noticing more fat people: While only a bit more than 6 out of 10 people in the UK are over weight in the 2011 list, slightly less than 7 out of 10 Americans are.. I'm not sure how open mouthed in amazement I would be at the difference when I was walking down the street .. Yeah we are fat but so are you.

http://www.health-fitness.com.au/australia-now-fattest-country-in-the-world/

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[DiZZyLoX 114]

my husband found that the idea that Americans are not genuinely friendly but condescending to be a myth. Granted, I'm in Florida where Southern Hospitality is rampant. He can't get over the fact that people wave at me and I have no idea who they are...It took me the longest time to explain to him that's "just the way it is"...it's the sweet thing to do, the polite thing to do. It's kinda rude here if you pass someone on the street and don't at least acknowledge them with a smile and/or nod. SOMETHING.

At the same time...I think that depends on which state / part of the state you are in...We're an awfully big #### country with all kindsa folks all mixed up. It's going to be different depending on where you are, isn't it!?

Edited January 10, 2012 by DiZZyLoX

[Robert&Karen 264]

My wife is surprised how many blacks and hispanics there are in the US.

When I was a kid in 5th grade in Los Angeles we took a field trip to Olvera Street to see a Mexican.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

People tend to see what they expect when it comes to stereotypes.. The original poster was Australian and there has also been a lot of UK posters so we will pick on them.. On fat people: By average weight (average OVER weight) the fattest country in the world was the United States until 2008.. That was the year that Australia took the lead. Australia also has the greatest percentage of population in the obese category as of 2008.

Most lists cited since then moved to percentage of the population over weight (not just obese) which dropped them back to respectable levels The US has fallen to #9 on this list (thanks Kuwait for getting fatter and pushing us down another notch this year!) and Germany looks to push us to #10 next year (we beat them by 2 tenths of one percent this year).. Nothing to be proud of as most of the others in the top 10 are tiny countries but much of Europe, Russia, and the Middle east are coming up fast.. By the way congrats to Canada who is no longer in the top 10.

The people mentioning noticing more fat people: While only a bit more than 6 out of 10 people in the UK are over weight in the 2011 list, slightly less than 7 out of 10 Americans are.. I'm not sure how open mouthed in amazement I would be at the difference when I was walking down the street .. Yeah we are fat but so are you.

http://www.health-fitness.com.au/australia-now-fattest-country-in-the-world/

Actually, the OP is from the UK. Check their flag.

Also, Australia was fattest in 2008 yes, but is not any more. Hasn't been since 2008. We are dropping. 2011: http://www.thetoptenlist.net/2011/08/top-10-fattest-countries/ The US is #1, Australia is #4. In 2010 it was also the US: http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/world-obesity-stats-2010/

This is the US obesity by state: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html or this http://www.ncsf.org/newsarticles/0-155/2011UpdatedObesityStatistics.aspx

You claim the US is down to #9 and Australia is #1 and has been since 2008. Please provide proof this as nothing I find states this. I found an old links that look recent but when you search for the date it's quite old (in 2007 the US was #9).

No-one has said that people in our countries are not fat, we're saying that there are more fat people here and there are because there are more people in general. So while 6 in 10 in Australia might be fat, if there are 100 people in Australia that's 60 people. If there are 1000 in the US that's 600 fat people. So you SEE more fat people. It's more obvious.

Percentages are all well and good, but there are roughly 22 million people in Australia, 62 million in the UK, and 312 million in the US. According to the link I posted before 69% of people in the US are obese, that's about 215 million people. That's more people than Australia and the UK have combined. Australia is 61% so 13 million people. UK is also 61%, that's 32 million people.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I'd say the percentage of overweight people you see in the UK is about the same as over here but the super-obese, too-fat-to-walk-need-scooter types are fewer

[rlogan 2,036]

I am suprised how many people have criminal records! it could be the state i live in, but for work I need to run background checks, and I am more suprised when they come back clean now! it also could be the industry I am working in, but still, where i came from, I don't think i knew anyone with a record!

No surprise there. The U.S. jails more of its citizens both in absolute and relative terms than any country on earth, and it is by a large margin.

It is amazing to me how much staying power this delusion is about the US being such a free country. Immigrants who go through this ghastly immigration process need to understand that this is a perfect example of what the USA has become, not the "price" of entering a "free country". Sort of like getting raped so that you can be a virgin.

[david'sgirl 134]

I'd say the percentage of overweight people you see in the UK is about the same as over here but the super-obese, too-fat-to-walk-need-scooter types are fewer

yeah but only because the NHS doesn;t give out free scooters!

[scotinmass 588]

Actually, the OP is from the UK. Check their flag.

Also, Australia was fattest in 2008 yes, but is not any more. Hasn't been since 2008. We are dropping. 2011: http://www.thetoptenlist.net/2011/08/top-10-fattest-countries/ The US is #1, Australia is #4. In 2010 it was also the US: http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/world-obesity-stats-2010/

This is the US obesity by state: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html or this http://www.ncsf.org/newsarticles/0-155/2011UpdatedObesityStatistics.aspx

You claim the US is down to #9 and Australia is #1 and has been since 2008. Please provide proof this as nothing I find states this. I found an old links that look recent but when you search for the date it's quite old (in 2007 the US was #9).

No-one has said that people in our countries are not fat, we're saying that there are more fat people here and there are because there are more people in general. So while 6 in 10 in Australia might be fat, if there are 100 people in Australia that's 60 people. If there are 1000 in the US that's 600 fat people. So you SEE more fat people. It's more obvious.

Percentages are all well and good, but there are roughly 22 million people in Australia, 62 million in the UK, and 312 million in the US. According to the link I posted before 69% of people in the US are obese, that's about 215 million people. That's more people than Australia and the UK have combined. Australia is 61% so 13 million people. UK is also 61%, that's 32 million people.

You seem to think it's ok to rip apart the country that was good enough to allow you to live there but if anybody says anything negative about the country you left you get all offended!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

You seem to think it's ok to rip apart the country that was good enough to allow you to live there but if anybody says anything negative about the country you left you get all offended!

I didn't rip anything apart. I also conceded Australia is overweight. I wasn't offended by the notion Australia was fat, I know it is. You're projecting feelings that weren't there.

"OnMyWayID" made up information both about the obesity statistics and even misstated where the OP was from, both of which are easy to check. I was correcting that information.

[david'sgirl 134]

I've been reading the posts and I am just astounded by the number of people who are either applying for or have already recieved visas to live in the USA.

To make broad generalizations about "Americans" makes the posters sound ignorant.

If I had gone to live in Scotland instead of him coming here, I would have done my best to assimilate and fit in and I would have been respectful. The arrogance and just plain meanness of some of the posts I have read is unbelievable.

Based on what I am reading, some of you are coming here to live out the rest of your life in a place you see as full of obese,ignorant,annoying,God-loving, Patriotic (gasp..how horrible for you to see people proudly display the flag!, Americans but you despise us and wish you were still in the country you came from. My feeling right now is for all of you who hate my country and want to judge all of us based on the few places or people you have met is that you can get on the next plane,bus or boat and go back to the place you think is soooo much better. If it is so much better than the USA then take your spouse back where you came from so he or she won;t have to suffer living in such an inferior country. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

To everyone else who is willing to actually be tolerant and to try to get to know more about the country and who really wants to live here, Welcome Home!

I didn't rip anything apart. I also conceded Australia is overweight. I wasn't offended by the notion Australia was fat, I know it is. You're projecting feelings that weren't there.

"OnMyWayID" made up information both about the obesity statistics and even misstated where the OP was from, both of which are easy to check. I was correcting that information.

Beg to differ. You have been very offensive!

[N M 96]

Have to say, I'm not a big fan of flouncy over reactions like the one above.

This is a light hearted thread - with posts from people who are possibly a little homesick, venting about things that annoy them. You can try as hard as you can to assimilate, but sometimes you just need to let off steam.

You also need to remember that there are significant cultural differences at play here - what you may see as wonderful patriotism (flying the flag) doesn't always translate to people who have grown up in environments where national flags are used as hate symbols to terrify and attack minority groups. Eventually such people will get used to the fact that America isn't like that - but in the mean time, try not to criticise their struggles to adjust.

And frankly - If banter about how fat Americans are, is really such a terrible attack on the U.S., this nation is buggered.