Nearly two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Our rate of weight gain is escalating faster than anywhere else on earth, particularly in children. What's happening to us? The obesity epidemic in our country has only been a problem in the 50 years or so, when food has become both cheap and abundant - so the "genetics" of obesity can't explain much about this (genetic changes don't happen in a couple of generations!)
What are we doing wrong in America? We have more “diet” foods in the US than anywhere else in the world, and we’re among the top heaviest nations. We can learn a lot from the eating habits of people in other countries?
Watch the segment from TODAY
There are a lot of world-wide diet tips, but I've picked 4 countries to represent these trends:
Japan, France, Italy, and Greece. For comparison, the Japanese have an incidence of obesity of about 3% - that's 10 times less than in the USA, where we weight in around 30% of obesity among our adult population. Let's take a look at why this might be so. And, please post your ideas on this topic!!
Take a look at this info and see how different this can be from typical American eating.
Healthy weight fundamentals in other countries include: - Portions are small and controlled
- Reliance on fresh, unprocessed foods
- Enjoying food as a social occasion, with friends and family
- No foods are off limits – no “good” or “bad” foods
- No meal skipping
- Very limited snacking
- Activity of daily living – a lot of walking!! (20 minute stroll = 1 mile = 100 calories
Interested in some specific tips from particular countries? Read on!
JAPAN 
Broth-based soups -fill you up before a meal
Soy as major protein source - low in fat and calories (tofu, edamame)
Very limited use of red meat, used more as a garnish than “main dish”.
Rice/veggie combinations replace protein – not add to it
Variety of veggies for a colorful plate
Sushi – lean protein (fish) or veggies with small amount of rice – good nutrient balance
FRANCE 
Food quality, not quantity is important
"Iindulgence” means small quantity of a special food, not more food
Fresh, flavorful foods in small portions
No meal skipping – regular meal intervals
No snacking
All foods in moderation – even dessert
No eating on the run – relaxed eating as social event (ie, no cup holders!)
ITALY 
Meals are social and a celebration of family and friends
Longer, leisurely meals are the norm – more social, less food
Limited portions, even for pasta! (5 oz is normal in Italy - double that in the US!)
Red wine and olive oil reign - and natives consume the fruit as well (grapes and olives).
Abundant fresh tomatoes, garlics, herbs and spices provide fabulous flavor and satisfaction.
Wine is part of meal, or serves as dessert.
Flavorful aged cheeses – like parmiagiano – provide lots of flavor with a smaller serving size.
GREECE 
Mediterranean focus on abundant fresh produce: tomatoes, onions, eggplant, spinach, artichokes are favorites Olive oil is chief source of fat
Meat as “extender” – not a big hunk – rather, stuffed grape leaves – with chopped lamb or beef and rice.
Use of tangy, intensely flavored feta cheese – lots of flavor with a small amount (and fewer calories)
Chick peas and nuts are protein sources
Use of plain strained yogurt (concentrated flavor – most water removed); eaten plain or as a base for sauces
Other country favorites you can suggest? I'd love to know. When it come to weight loss tips, we need all the help we can get!
译文:
来自世界各地的减肥秘诀
几乎三分之二的美国人超重或肥胖，我们的肥胖率较别的地方都增长的较快，特别是孩子们。发生什么事了呢？ 在未来五十年左右普遍肥胖在我国将会是一大难题，到那时食物会变得的丰富而便宜，以至于肥胖基因不能作为这个问题的主要原因了（基因不可能在几代人中改变）。
在美国我们做错了什么？是我们的食物比任何别的国家丰富，我们是最肥胖的国家之一，还是我们从别的国家学到了很多的饮食习惯？
看看《今日时报》的一下片段
有许多世界通用的饮食建议，但是我挑选了四个国家来代表这些趋势：日本，法国，意大利和希腊。通过对比，在成年人中，日本的肥胖率大约是3%，比起美国的30%，少了10倍。一看看为什么会这样吧。还有请不要把你的观点强加于我们的话题!!
看看以下的信息你就会知道和传统饮食有多么不同了。在别的国家，健康标准包括：
分量小，有节制
主要食用新鲜的，未加工的食品
把和家人，朋友享受美食当作一种社交机会
不挑食-食物没有好坏
不要少吃一顿饭
少吃零食
每天保持锻炼-多散步（20分钟的散步=1英里=100卡路里）
对一些国家的一些特殊饮食习惯感兴趣吗？往下读！
日本
汤以肉汤为主-饭前先喝汤
酱油为主要的蛋白质来源-脂肪和卡路里含量低（豆腐，青豆）
很少吃未熟的肉，通常用于装饰而不是主食
米饭与素菜结合取代蛋白质-而不是添加蛋白质
素食者使用色彩各异的盘子
寿司-全肉蛋白（鱼）或者根据素食者加入不同的米饭-营养平衡
法国
食物—要质量，不要数量
“放任”意思是对特别食品的少量摄入，而不是更多的食物
少量的进食新鲜，可口的食物
不少吃一顿饭-正常饮食
不吃零食
适中进食-甚至甜点
吃饭不要太急-把细嚼慢咽当作社会经验
意大利
饭食是社交性的活动和家人及朋友更长时间的庆祝，悠闲地吃饭是更加规范的社交，少部分食物
有限，即使是面食！(5 oz是正常的在意大利-在美国加倍那!)
丰富的新鲜的蕃茄、大蒜、草本和香料提供美妙的味道和满意。
酒是膳食的一部分或者担当点心。
红葡萄酒和橄榄油统治-，并且当地人吃果子(葡萄和橄榄)。
象parmiagiano –的美味年迈的乳酪–提供许多味道以更小的服务。
希腊
在丰富的新鲜农产品的地中海的焦点： 蕃茄，葱，茄子，菠菜，朝鲜蓟是橄榄油是油脂的首要来源的喜爱作为“extender” –的肉一个很大的厚片–，与切好的羊羔的葡萄叶包饭–或是牛肉和米。
对气味强烈，强烈地调味的希腊白软干酪–许多用途与一少量(和少量卡路里的)的味道
鹰嘴豆和坚果是蛋白质来源简单的紧张的酸奶(被集中的味道– 多数水被去掉); 吃简单地或作为调味汁的一个基础。
您能给出的其他国家的爱好吗？ 我会愿意知道。 当谈到减重技巧时，我们需要可以得到的所有帮助!