I think I've heard statistics that Americans are much more obese then other countries.

What I'm wondering is why the European countries are the ones that pioneered the lap-band since the obesity problem isn't as bad?

Also for anyone from countires other then the United States are the requirements different.... like here it's supposed to be a BMI of 40 (or 35 with medical issues).

I've been to Europe several times and I can just say "Wow" everyone seemed so much thinner. (And their Cola's so much smaller). Coming from the land of super-sized I was very jealous of the less-is-more lifestyle.

Interesting topic...I don't have all that much experience with perspectives outside of the US, or their medical stats, for that matter. I do know that public demand causes restaurants to serve larger portions, and we get used to seeing that as normal, and we get used to eating that much as normal, too.

Maybe they pioneered the lapband because weight issues have more importance to them???? Just guessing, Cindy

I agree..

And try purching only healthy things like fruit, veggies, lean cuts of meat, fish, etc. Yeah right. How is a poor person supposed to be able to afford that?

It's pretty sad. No wonder our country has so many obese people living here.

I first went to England in my young 20's and I was thin. At the time I was "yes I admit" a spoiled brat. I complained because my hotel room wasn't large enough or the TV big enough. I could eat two or three of their meals and thought I was getting "ripped off" at resturants that charged me for the tiny little cokes and for every refill.

Now I've learned... I hope I'm not so spoiled. I'd like to live simipler and those things aren't so imporant to me. But it's hard to change eating habits after always living the "fast food life style" - I know I can do it but I'm glad to have the band to assist.

Yes, great topic.

I am of Italian decent, I went to Italy expecting to see big mamas. I was the big mama and they were all THIN....

I am Canadian and our fatness is quickly catching up to the US, reported to be the fattest nation. I blame lifestyle, commercials from the food industry trying to get your money and willing to put all kinds of crap, fat and sugar in food to get you hooked.

Also, recently I read an article on people in cities actually being in better shape than people in less populated areas. I live in a small town, live outside town and have to drive absolutely everywhere. In cities many people walk to work, school and shopping. Here in the great white north, we have to drive EVERYWHERE. I tried very hard to find a house close to our kids' school so they could walk, didn't happen.

ALSO, I talk about his with many moms with young children. We are so fearful of our kids being abducted, we don't send our children outside to roam the neighbourhoods anymore. Kids rely more on tv and inside activities to entertain themselves, get lazy and hey, what else is there to do but eat.

ALSO, ALSO, many homes have a hard time preparing meals from natural unprocessed foods. I have a neice, who was a teen mom, who thinks pulling a meal out of a box in the freezer is the 'norm' would NEVER buy fresh meats and prepare them with fresh vegetables for dinner.

I will also never forget going to Denmark, seeing thin teens going to the beach with rye bread and stinky cheese sandwiches. NO chips, NO POP... I couldn't believe it.

It is a sad, sad state of affairs we find ourselves in.

I myself, fight the prepared food thing. I feel as though my slim kids deserve a treat and often will make or buy muffins, Cookies, granola bars, (which apparently have more sugar in them than cookies) yet, by making a choice like granola bar, I think I am making a good healthier choice. I am absolutely sure my kids are addicted to sugar. And I work hard on keeping it out of the house, and dh and I work hard on keeping our kids in an active lifestyle. sigh.

But for my children's sake, I will continue to fight this battle. I do NOT want my children growing up with the shameful feelings of being fat that I grew up with.

Boy, I am long winded today....I'll shut up now:nervous

When I flew to London, I stopped over in Paris, and in the airport, they had these little lunch places. The French people were sitting in there eating these tiny slices of pizza, like the size if you cut one of our regular slices of pizza into three, and that was their one piece. The yogurt containers were about three ounces, and the sodas were about 6 ounces. I never saw anything like it. I also read an article once that said the average caloric intake for a French person is 1,200 per day! When they're not on a diet! In the same article, it said these French people went into a Mcdonald's and ordered a happy meal and they were "stuffed". In another article I read, a British woman and her mother came here to the states and went out to dinner, and when the plates came out, they burst out laughing because they thought it was a joke because the portions were so enormous. They were horrified to find out that it was a "normal" restaurant portion. When a friend of mine (who is very slender and eats very sparingly as it is) went to Paris, he stayed with a friend, and the friend would give him a tiny slice of quiche for breakfast, and my friend was ready to pass out! His friend was disgusted with him for being hungry all the time. The French also do not snack in between meals, ever. In my old job a few years ago, there was an intern from France, and one day we ordered Chinese food. It came in one of those round metal containers (about 10 inches in diameter). She said to me "no offense, but I have to say, you Americans wonder why you're all so fat, and the reason is this" (she pointed to the container) "Back home", she said "this would be lunch for me and four other people. Here, it's lunch for one person." Also, I met a girl from Germany who had moved here to the states, and she said that since coming here, she had gained 18 pounds without changing her portion sizes or the type of foods she normally ate back home. She attributed this weight gain to the fact that all of our food is so heavily processed. She said in the UK, all foods are fresh and often organic, and that they purchase foods fresh every day instead of relying on canned, frozen, and boxed foods like we do here. So, my two cents is that yes, we eat waaaaay more than the rest of the world and our food is crap. My best friend is Indian, and she said their plates are much, much smaller, and their large pizza is the size of an individual pizza here. Also, she says all their food is fresh and unprocessed. I believe that if Americans ate like the rest of the world, a large percentage of obesity would go away.

I guess we can change our culture one person at a time.

My wife is norwegian. We married in Dec of 98. Since moving here she gained 80 pounds. I often wondered if it was the food. I know in norway you go there and they eat like birds compared to us. Also i believe my horrible habits rubbed off on her and I am hopeing that with my band and new habbits she will revert back to her old habbits. I know that animals in norway are not shot up with growth drugs like here in the states. Also from what i have heard Europeans eat late instead of early like we are always taught. Again i often wonder if it is all the junk that the FDA allows in our food. Maybe they are lobbied by the diet industry so the diet industry can make their cut.

I went to Holland in 2002 to attend my brother's wedding. Everyone was walking or riding bikes, I think in the week I was there I only saw one overweight person and she wasnt even close to being obese. Its not just that they eat better, they also walk more. Gas is more expensive over there so fewer people own cars. My Dutch sister n law has always eaten small portions. She lives here now, and is still as thin and healthy as ever.

My husband is from Sweden, and I've spent a total of about 2 years there, as well as having visited most of the Scandinavian countries. Here are some different diet/lifestyle factors I have seen or observed:

1. They don't eat out frequently. In Scandinavia, restaurants - even fast food - are seen mostly as something you do on special occasions, not daily or even weekly.

2. It's not rare that someone has no car since the public transportation system is so much more developed. Most transportation is done on the public system, but there's usually a good distance between where you are/live and the local tram pickup. Between the local tram stop and my DH's apartment, we had about a half-mile walk and 214 stairs. And when they're not on the tram, they're riding bikes, walking, etc. Their lifestyles are simply more active.

3. Grocery stores are not nearly as large as ours and do not carry as much variety. What they do carry is usually very healthy. Their meals are heathier, too. meats and dairies are usually more fresh and natural.

4. Foods are much more expensive there, incomes are much lower, and people often need to make their food go farther.

There are other factors, but those are the most evident. My husband moved here in late 97 and has put on weight since then - I'd guess about 50 lbs. At first it was because the portions were so much larger, and things like being able to buy a 2 liter of Coke for under $1 instead of $6 made it easier to go through it faster. Then it was a matter of sedintary lifestyle - people make an *event* of going for a walk, it's something you *do*, and not something that's a part of what has to happen during the day.

BTW - of the Scandinavian countries, Denmark is the fattest. It's not too far behind America. It's also the one IMO with the most American culture/influence, esp. in restaurants and lifestyle.

I've read and watched, on tv, lately about the obesity epidemic being worldwide. Unfortunately, in this case, the US has far reaching influence!!! Sunta's right about the serving size, lack of snacking, etc....They sound like bansters without the band...

Hello everyone, I am a new lap-band reciepent. I got my band on Feb 13th 2006. I go for my first fill on March 16th 2006. I wanted to know if anyone experiences any weight loss before their first fill. I feel that I lost some weight, but not a significant amount.

Thanks in advance.

Wheetsin do not forget the multiple trips to the store as well. Since we did not have a car we had to walk to the store. You can carry only so much, espicially if you are dragging kids with you. We had to go to the store about every 2 days. Norge and Sverige are very similar, atleast in the larger cities where you have the public transportation.

That is true! I learned that the hard way the first time I went to the grocery store by myself. I wasn't even thinking.

I've been thinking about this, and another part may be the schedule of eating throughout the day. I don't know about all of Scandinavia, but in Sweden there is "fika" through the day that usually involves coffee or tea and some type of snack - often knackerbrod (similar to Wasa crackers). Helps keep the metabolism up, is a healthy snack, and helps you eat a smaller dinner/lunch.

I spent some time in Europe and what struck me is that they walk everywhere, or ride bikes. Their communities are such where that is the norm. They are not like us in that they drive everywhere and we drive miles and miles to run our errands, etc.

Also, they linger over their food. They sit, relax and eat slowly. They don't bolt it down like we do as if it's something to get over with to get on with other things. It's a a way to relax and socialize over there.

They also buy fresher food. They don't hit a huge supermarket once every few weeks and load up on food in the house. they go to the market almost daily and buy in small quantities, and fresher local foods.

Yes Wasa is swedish flat bread. When we are over there visitng family we sometimes would use flat bread for sandwhiches. Of course theirs are open face and usually consist of healty meats such as fish or thinly sliced ham etc. along with good cheese and perhapse a slice of tomato. I tend to lose weight everytime we go. I can see it would be a great advantage for me to live there from a health point of view however I couold not take the long cold dark winters lol