Americans: Stereotypes, Not So Obese, Poor Drivers, Rude & Greedy

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The discussion centers on the prevalence of stereotypes about Americans, with participants sharing personal experiences and observations. Key points include the perception that many Americans are rude, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that interactions vary significantly by region, with East Coast residents often seen as less friendly compared to those in the Midwest or West Coast. Driving skills are criticized, with claims that Americans are generally poor drivers, often distracted by technology. The stereotype of obesity is acknowledged as largely true, attributed to economic factors, cultural habits, and the availability of cheap, unhealthy food options. Nationalism is also discussed, highlighting a strong sense of pride among Americans, which some find admirable while others view it as excessive. Overall, the conversation reflects a complex interplay of cultural norms, regional differences, and individual experiences that shape the understanding of American stereotypes.
  • #51
Ivan Seeking said:
As Cristo pointed out, we are a young nation. As a result, classically speaking, less the so-called native Americans, we are all immigrants, or nearly so. The oldest families, which represent a very small sample of the population, go back, what, maybe 500 years. In my case, I am a Finnish-Swedish-German-English-Polish-Native American. [There are actually a couple more small influences in there but I can't remember them at the moment... there is also a bit of Swiss, from the German side]

I've traced some of my family in the US as far back as 1800. In fact, some of my relatives were among the first settlers in Ohio. A few settled in Guernsey County, then moved all their relatives from Guernsey Island of the Channel Islands to Guernsey County, Ohio.

Most of my relatives came over some time in the 1800's from Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. I have some French relatives in there, but I've never been able to trace them back past the 1800's to find out when they first came over.

Looking through my family history, it isn't very common for people to die in the same town they were born in. And my family tries to keep up the tradition. With seven kids in our family, at one time each of us lived in a different state. And I've spent about equal times living in Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska, and Colorado, with a year in Alaska tossed in for good measure.
 
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  • #52
Sorry! said:
I do think that the steroetype on Americans being fat is true however. A friend of mine works at Tommy Hilfigere and all the clothes are from America. So they use some 'American' system but it appears that it's the same as the one we use here. What they do is they make the sizes larger than they say. I.e. a size 34 is actually say a size 36 the people at the store say this is directly related to the average size of Americans. As well shirts from America tend to get larger around mostly the belly area when you go up in size...

There is still a major trend of wearing baggy clothes here. Its not as common now but you used to see guys walking down the street with their asses hanging out of their pants all the time. Hilfiger in particular was part of that fashion craze. I had a pair of Hilfiger pants years ago that although they had the right size waist I could fit both of my legs in one pant leg. Also I think someone somewhere along the way realized that if they made sizes bigger than they normally were that people were more apt to buy the clothes that said they were a small rather than a medium.
 
  • #53
55? I couldn't drive that. Speed limit here's 70.

America is not obese! After all, I am not obese!

I just get tired of going to Mcdonald's and having health food pushed in my face. I know what I'm eating is unhealthy, but I'm eating it for a reason!
 
  • #54
-- Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to an alarming 31% of the population.
-- 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.
-- 31% are obese with a BMI in excess of 30.0.
http://www.americansportsdata.com/obesitystats.asp

A lot sure are overweight though. I wonder what your eating this unhealthy foor for... it's probably the #1 reason large jump to 31% of americans obese has occured?
 
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  • #55
I meet a lot of nice people and a lot of rude people.

The only thing that has remained constant is that most of people aren't worth attempting a friendship. Almost everyone I meet is full of it in one way or another. (This goes for everyone, not just Americans)

I don't really see that many obese people, I wonder if those numbers are true. If anything I'd think Europe (or some European country) would contain the stereotypical obese people eating mutton legs.
 
  • #56
whs said:
I meet a lot of nice people and a lot of rude people.

The only thing that has remained constant is that most of people aren't worth attempting a friendship. Almost everyone I meet is full of it in one way or another. (This goes for everyone, not just Americans)

I don't really see that many obese people, I wonder if those numbers are true. If anything I'd think Europe (or some European country) would contain the stereotypical obese people eating mutton legs.

Here's the full report:
http://www.americansportsdata.com/pr-obesityresearch-bmi.asp

and here's the data:
http://www.americansportsdata.com/ss_participation1.asp
 
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  • #57
The notion of believing in a stereotype is just as foolish as thinking one person, yourself can bend it.
 
  • #58
That's not dinner. Cooking actual meat or fish and dicing up vegetables for a proper meal ends up taking at least 20 minutes. Anything with flavor takes longer 'cause of prep time.
So you're forced to take the unhealthy alternative simply because what I suggested doesn't qualify as dinner?
Still cheaper. There are tons of studies on this, and they all find healthier food costs more.
I'd have to see the studies. I can think of several cheaper healthy alternatives, but apparently anything I name isn't up to snuff with the rigors of dinner classification.
The average grocery bill for a family of four is about $400-$600 a month (my family believes in cooking and homemade food and buys kosher meat, so ours is about double that). You can feed a family of four at McDonalds or with chinese take-out for about 10 bucks.
I'm unsure of why sandwiches you make at home don't qualify as dinner, but McDonalds sandwiches do.
 
  • #59
story645 said:
Still cheaper. There are tons of studies on this, and they all find healthier food costs more. The average grocery bill for a family of four is about $400-$600 a month (my family believes in cooking and homemade food and buys kosher meat, so ours is about double that). You can feed a family of four at McDonalds or with chinese take-out for about 10 bucks.
Any take-out I order for two people costs about 40 euros (60 dollars), I can't believe that with 10 dollars you can get chinese take-out for a family of four.
 
  • #60
Monique said:
Any take-out I order for two people costs about 40 euros (60 dollars), I can't believe that with 10 dollars you can get chinese take-out for a family of four.

I'd say it's more like fourteen dollars.
 
  • #61
Monique said:
Any take-out I order for two people costs about 40 euros (60 dollars), I can't believe that with 10 dollars you can get chinese take-out for a family of four.

It depends on the place. I would say closer to twenty for your average hole in the wall. Galteeth may have cheaper places around him than I do. Most entrees are only $5-$6 unless you get the expensive stuff with shrimp or something. Fried rice and Chow Mein are even cheaper.
 
  • #62
Monique said:
Any take-out I order for two people costs about 40 euros (60 dollars), I can't believe that with 10 dollars you can get chinese take-out for a family of four.
I'm in the US and I'll vouch for the cheap Chinese - certainly $15 of take out will feed a family of four, no problem. Chinese restaurants are simply everywhere here, and the take out only shops have very little store front to attend - maybe no more than three people, one in front, two in the kitchen.
 
  • #63
Not big news, but I thought this graph was interesting.

http://media.skinnychef.com/misc/highfructosecornsyrup695.jpg

...The above graph shows how overweight & obesity rates (1980: 15%; 2000: 28%) rose simultaneously with the increased use of high fructose corn syrup in the 1980s and 1990s (5 vs. 45 gram/capita/day). A related graph also indicates that ten years after the increase in obesity, there’s an increase in diabetes cases. Many experts, including Richard Johnson, say that it’s hard to argue with those correlations...
http://skinnychef.com/blog/high-fructose-corn-syrup-bad-for-you
Source:
Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity1,2
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/4/537
 
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  • #64
Yeah, fried rice and eggrolls for a family of 4 will easily come in under $15 around here - probably closer to $10. There are lots of Asian immigrants in the area, and they get really aggressive with their pricing. In Skowhegan (county seat), there is every fast-food franchise you can think of, including a Timmy's, but the Asians think nothing about setting up shop, and can make a good living doing so. In the nicer sit-down Chinese restaurants, the prices are higher, the dishes are more complex, etc, but the portion sizes can be scary-big, meaning that you'll be taking home about half of your meals, and that averages the prices down. Order some complex dish like Gai Poo Lo Mein (shrimp, beef, vegetables and sauce over a bed of noodles) with seafood in it, and you've probably got the most expensive meal on the menu - still 'way less than a meal at a decent American-style restaurant, though, and you probably won't take home a doggie-bag from the American-style joint.
 
  • #65
All this talk of Chinese is making me very hungry. I'm sure that my local restaurant will appreciate it. Our buffet is on average about seven dollars, and for 15 dollars you could get carry out for at least four people.
 
  • #66
I haven't done a whole lot of traveling but it's really obvious there is an "Americanization" when it comes to food. It feels like it kinda takes away from some of the quality, but it's all about finding the good sources. That's a lot of the fun in it.

If there was anyone thing that I would change with America though, it's the education system, at least from K through 12. The whole thing under serves and a lot of people who have an interest in whatever don't fit in with the majority teaching style. It's really sad honestly, so many lives squandered because of misdirection that could have been prevented.

I've noticed that nearly every time a non American has claimed that we are stupid, it's really just the education system affecting judgment calls. Most people aren't taught critical thinking skills. :(
 
  • #67
Every country has it's idiots. Most Americans I've met where cool.
 
  • #68
No problem with being cool idiot :smile:
 
  • #69
Borek said:
No problem with being cool idiot :smile:

Now you had better be nice. I have an entire book of Polish Jokes.

[well, actually that was when I was about twelve years old, but I still remember them! :biggrin:]
 
  • #70
I was not referring to Americans, rather to logical fallacy.
 
  • #71
Us dun Amerikans r racist yall hur.

No matter how much some people in the U S of A **** me off, I would take living with them any day of the week than having to deal with gypsies.

If you hate America so much why don't you leave?
 
  • #72
Borek said:
I was not referring to Americans, rather to logical fallacy.

Read it like you would read the 2nd amendment of the USA constitution. The preamble doesn't change the provision :P
 
  • #73
MotoH said:
If you hate America so much why don't you leave?

Yeah, Americans which don't like America should move in a backwater 3rd world country. Wake up call :P
 
  • #74
Borek said:
I was not referring to Americans, rather to logical fallacy.

Oh darn! I guess now I can't use my jokes.

btw, we don't just pick on the Poles. Back before the nation started drifting towards the politically correct, ethnic humor was pretty common. Also, I'm part Polish. :biggrin:
 
  • #75
We're all living in America, it's wunderbar:

 
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  • #76
did someone say Poland?
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3792/dreampolandball2.png
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/8772/1261324473621.jpg
 
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  • #77
Ivan Seeking said:
Not big news, but I thought this graph was interesting.

http://media.skinnychef.com/misc/highfructosecornsyrup695.jpg
Ivan's just being lazy here. In the interest of scientific rigor, here's the original source.
 
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  • #78
Why do you draw Monaco when you say Poland?

Hm, perhaps they don't lie when they say Americans know nothing about geography...
 
  • #79
Borek said:
Why do you draw Monaco when you say Poland?

Hm, perhaps they don't lie when they say Americans know nothing about geography...


Haha
 
  • #80
Thats the joke. I suggest searching the internet before you make poor comments.
 
  • #81
I know plenty about geography. For example, I correctly identified the nation south of the Timor Sea.
 

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