Do Europeans lead healthier lifestyles?

[miss_conduct]

I went to visit Europe in the 1990s. I did observe that Europeans are more fit than the average American, however I also noticed that smoking heavily was common, and also drinking. I have heard that Russians drink heavily. Are Europeans bad to smoke and drink, or has that changed somewhat since I went there last? I also noticed the occasional Burger King or McDonalds in Europe. But Europe seemed to be full of great restaurants and pubs. Of course I know the French and Italians are famous for their wine and Germany their beer.

I also understand that winters in Europe, and especially the Soviet Union,and Scandinavia, are a tad harsher than here.

[MrPeabody]

I went to visit Europe in the 1990s. I did observe that Europeans are more fit than the average American, however I also noticed that smoking heavily was common, and also drinking. I have heard that Russians drink heavily. Are Europeans bad to smoke and drink, or has that changed somewhat since I went there last? I also noticed the occasional Burger King or McDonalds in Europe. But Europe seemed to be full of great restaurants and pubs. Of course I know the French and Italians are famous for their wine and Germany their beer.

I also understand that winters in Europe, and especially the Soviet Union,and Scandinavia, are a tad harsher than here.

I lived in the Netherlands for several years, and they didn’t ban smoking in restaurants until the year 2008. People were even allowed to smoke at work in the rest area underneath hooded ventilators which carried the smoke away. People are probably more fit because walking is more common in Europe and in the Netherlands bikes are a legitimate form of transportation, unlike America where it is only seen as recreation.

[Think Different]

West Europeans tend to be healthier than Americans, but that is changing fast, especially in the UK and Germany, where obesity is starting to take hold. They like to blame it all on McDonalds, but that is a cop-out. As I told one French woman who threw that at me, I told her that if the French would stop going to McDonalds so much, the restaurant would leave the country.

Anyhow, in Eastern Europe, they don't always have the abundance of veggies that they do in the West. When I lived in the Czech Republic (early 90s) you'd be hard pressed to find anything other than a potato or cabbage. Almost everything they ate was meat and fried stuff. Granted their fried cheese with mayonnaise sauce was delicious, but I was anticipating a heart attack, every time I ate it. Yes, they drink a lot of beer in some countries, but in Eastern Europe it's more about hard liquor and homemade hooch (think 180 proof stuff). CRAZY! They even had a funny Czech movie out, while I was there, which was a spoof of the Good Soldier Sveik, in which a man was making hooch out of poop. Living in Russia, I saw the drunkest and most strung out men I've ever seen, and the toughest women who put up with it all.

Yes, Euros do ride bikes and walk everywhere, but something very typical there is seeing people smoking cigarettes, while they ride their bike about town. Kinda weird, if you ask me.

[Jackal]

Anyhow, in Eastern Europe, they don't always have the abundance of veggies that they do in the West. When I lived in the Czech Republic (early 90s) you'd be hard pressed to find anything other than a potato or cabbage. Almost everything they ate was meat and fried stuff.

That was a long time ago. While it might be true that traditional Czech dishes don't include many vegetables, you can get all kinds of fruits and vegetables in grocery stores there now. In Hungary, I can buy all the kinds of fruits and vegetables which I could back in the US.

[Yeshabern21]

Alcoholic beverages are the most common vice in the whole world. It is always accompanied by smoking and the worse of it is even younger generations tend to go with the flow of the adults. Well, a little alcohol to our body is maybe helpful in some ways but too much of it will give us great side effects.