Are USA putting something in the water?

Black Swan · 15-12-2006 6:40am

slipss wrote:

How come American kids are so overgrown? supply or what?

Nutrition. Many of these big kids have relatives from Ireland who came to the USA to escape the potato famine, so genetically they are pretty much the same.

If you have lived and travelled most of your life outside the USA as I have, you would be shocked by the abundance, variety, and low cost of foods in the USA. And the meals that kids consume in the USA seem much larger than elsewhere, hence their problem with overweight kids.

Exit · 15-12-2006 7:04am

As people have already said, it's to do with their food intake. In particular, I'd say it's because of them serving bigger portions and in particular, eating more steak. I know after a summer of eating steak (mind you, this was in Canada) and coupled with basic exercise, I had bulked up considerably in the upper body. Think of what a lifetime of that will do to you.

I'd also suggest that sports plays a role. In school, they play a lot more sports than Ireland. Not only that, their sports are based on the upper body (football, baseball, basketball) whereas ours are mostly based on the legs and feet.

It's something you notice a lot in North America, but not just with teenagers. The average 20something guy is fairly muscular and well-built in their upper body.

r3nu4l · 15-12-2006 9:53am

Sysiphus wrote:

Hate to burst the bubble (well not realy) but you ****e about 95% of the V you "take". Your body, bieng the1i million year old nutrient enginge is well capable of absorbing all it needs from standard fare, without the chemecial genius of h-wood intent an marketin di-hydrogen oxygen. With all the persuant health benifits and risk.

Hate to burst your bubble but yes, as a Biologist I'm well aware of that, it was more a comment on the belief in and reliance on "vite-amins" and pills in general within the US population as a whole

A bit like the way French people (sweeping generalisation) rely on antibiotics to "cure" their viral colds, when antibiotics can never cure a cold

challengemaster · 15-12-2006 9:58am

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Nutrition. Many of these big kids have relatives from Ireland who came to the USA to escape the potato famine, so genetically they are pretty much the same.

last i heard, the number was about 40% of all americans have irish roots.

rubadub · 15-12-2006 10:58am

frobisher wrote:

Eh....um.... I have an idea. Maybe they use actors that are older than they say they are?:rolleyes:

That is very true, but the OP was talking about judge judy which are not actors, another was talking of people in the crowd on MTV. In beverly hills 90210 and dawsons creek they were all auld lads and grannies, I remember first seeing that dawsons crap and thinking they were supposed to be in their 30's! the fecking language out of them, going around talking like professors of english with phds in philosophy.

You often hear that the average breast size has increased, but they rarely give the real reason, people are getting fatter, it is possible that breast size could have decreased if it was based on peoples weights, e.g. the average 9 stone woman could be 34b now but could have been 34c in the 60's.

Tall Tom · 15-12-2006 10:57pm

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

the beef etc over there is full of growth hormones.

I think you may be right. I'm a freak at 6'7" tall.

Not to mention all of today's teenage girls who are fully blossoming in their early teens. It's insane!!!

brianthebard · 15-12-2006 11:08pm

Ever watch hogan's show on mtv? His son and daughter are 14 and 16 respectively, but they look well over 18 and 20 and could easily pass for more I think.

BlueSpiral · 15-12-2006 11:56pm

No wonder I had a huge growth spurt while I was over there. Drank 2 glasses of milk everyday over there for two weeks, grew a few inches. I'm still that height from when I came back.

....

I need some growth hormones.

Are USA putting something in the water?

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