How the World Stays Healthy
How do those darn Europeans stay so healthy and lean? What are they doing and where can I get some? Who is the healthiest in the world? Obesity ravages the U.S. as now the number one most preventable form of death. How horrendous! Nationally and globally, heart
disease is the number 1 killer. We need to find out what these Europeans are doing fast and take notes. Let us visit the top 5 healthiest countries in the world and further explore what they are doing so right in order to make our wrongs just a bit less wrong so to say.
France
The French stand first on our list for their fantastic low rates of heart disease. Their secret lies in their slow dining habits, their amounts of walking, and their daily glass of wine. A French diet is widely known for having high amounts of fat, which is acceptable when combined with their other habits. A combination of small portions, longer mealtimes and extra walking incorporated regularly is the French lifestyle. By extending mealtime out the body is able to best assess when it is truly full, thus avoiding the empty calories of overeating. Overeating is notorious in the US simply due to the constant rush and supersized meals we have grown accustomed to. To cap off a day, our French patrons of health partake in moderate amounts of wine which are helping keep heart disease at bay. They are able to do this because they save so many calories throughout the day with the aforementioned. Only 7 percent of the French population are obese while we Americans push 22 percent and beyond, seemingly due to their ability to slow down and enjoy their lives, saving countless calories.
According to the University of Pennsylvania and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris, size does matter. Researchers compared the size of portions at 11 eateries in Paris and Philadelphia and discovered the average size of a French meal was 277 grams, compared with an American portion of 346 grams?a meal larger by 25 percent. Supermarkets also sold larger items in Philadelphia. “Of the 17 items Rozin picked out, 14 products were larger stateside. For example, a carton of yogurt was 82 percent larger in Philadelphia. A soft drink was 52 percent bigger.”
All information published in the September 2007 issue ofPsychological Science.
Japan
The Japanese are renowned for the long life span of their citizens. On average their life expectancy is over 86 years old, along with Japanese women holding the honor of longest life expectancy in the world. This honor comes from their low-cholesterol diets and high amounts of exercise. The Japanese diet is rich in rice, fish, and seaweed, which have long been known to keep heart disease and cancer in check. Their government has taken a fervent interest in keeping the blue collared employees active with government-sponsored pre-work workouts. This has helped many generations of Japanese maintain good health although the intentions of the government aren’t all noble; you see, a healthy employee is a productive employee, so it’s a win – win here. Unfortunately, Western influence is making its way into their lives by raising rates of diabetes, thanks to our high-fat Western foods taking over their shores. Seven million Japanese currently suffer from diabetes with it spreading faster into Asia and many other regions in the world.
Iceland
Iceland is known for hold the lowest infant mortality rate in the world due to its top notch natal care with just 2 deaths before the age of 5 (compared with the United States’ 7) for every 1,000 live births. Iceland offers extensive pre- and post-birth medical care funded by the government, explaining much lower levels of stress, not to mention the three months of guaranteed professional leave for each parent at 80 percent of their salaries. Studies have shown that the less stress or more control you have over stress in your life is directly correlated with a healthier weight and over all disposition on life. This basically implies that since you feel happier over all, you are much more likely to continue to take good care of yourself and respect your body.
Sweden
Sweden falls on our list for its h igh cancer survival rates and nearly 100 percent child immunization. Once again we can thank their government who spends nearly 14 percent only for healthcare. The country’s 9 million citizens receive cutting-edge medical technologies treatment, paying only 15 percent of the bill, if any at all. The people of Sweden are smart because they believe in holistic social care. There attention and care range from happier professional lives to better street lights in order to encourage evening walks, resulting in healthier, happier citizens, and of course, ultimately lower medical bills.
Italy
Italians round off our list with their extremely well rounded lifestyles. Italians first and foremost take great honor in being connoisseurs of food, and so expectedly they dine leisurely, savoring each bite they partake. Focusing on the enjoyment of the meal allows for better nutrient absorption, fosters sound eating habits, and of course, ensures that you stop when you are truly full to conserve calories. Italians eat only at mealtimes; and if they were to snack, their choice would most likely be fruits or nuts. The Italian culture believes in full balance of quality and quantity while enjoying simple, fresh food. They don’t diet, which is a fantastic idea due to the fact that radical unbalanced dieting usually does more damage to your metabolism than not dieting in the first place. An Italian meal is known for its daily fresh dark green veggies, rich fruits, and highly healthy unsaturated fats, such as virgin olive oil, a fantastic anti-inflammatory. To top it all off of course are the high amounts of walking about the city. Italians don’t seem to be in as much a rush as we seem to be. Maybe we should slow down a bit. Slowing down seems to be a running theme with these healthy Europeans.
http://www.johnpirelliosia.org/osia/Culture/how_italians_stay_slim.htm
Written by Anthony Heredia
