Why are Americans obese?

Why are we fat? Lots of reasons...

oreos.jpg


Yummy, yummy reasons...

FEMA handed out Oreos after the hurricane. This was some seriously cunning marketing, as far as I can tell.
I'm sure Nabisco has figures of what sort of bump this gave them in terms of longer-term Oreo sales in this area, but I doubt that info is public.


One thing I've noticed is that Americans have such a larger range of products. You guys have things I've never even heard of. In the UK I might have seen maybe 2-3 of those biscuits you posted. You go around Europe and you just don't get the same range. There are products and flavours that you will only get in the US. I could go to the local corner shop and the crisps, drinks, chocolates are pretty-much the same as they were 5-10 years ago.

You can't get Mountain Dew here as an example. And Throwback Pepsi? massive wtf moment when I heard about that on the net.
 
One thing I've noticed is that Americans have such a larger range of products. You guys have things I've never even heard of. In the UK I might have seen maybe 2-3 of those biscuits you posted. You go around Europe and you just don't get the same range. There are products and flavours that you will only get in the US. I could go to the local corner shop and the crisps, drinks, chocolates are pretty-much the same as they were 5-10 years ago.

You can't get Mountain Dew here as an example. And Throwback Pepsi? massive wtf moment when I heard about that on the net.

Except for chips. My cousin from Scotland was sad that we have hardly any chip flavors.
 
One thing I've noticed is that Americans have such a larger range of products. You guys have things I've never even heard of. In the UK I might have seen maybe 2-3 of those biscuits you posted. You go around Europe and you just don't get the same range.

I suspect this has something to do with the relatively larger size of grocery stores and shops in the USA. Lots of empty land -> big houses, big stores -> lots of room for different products on the shelves. If you are in Europe and running a grocery that's 1/5 the size of an American one, you have to be very picky about what you do and don't put on your shelves. Only guaranteed hot sellers are worth the space.

That said, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of junk food available in Europe. I practically live on Doner Kebabs when I visit, and various European countries are famous for certain high-cal/high-fat/high-sugar treats (chocolate, pastries, foie gras, etc.).

You can't get Mountain Dew here as an example.

Huh... never noticed that. No wonder you guys aren't more EXTREME!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneoneoneone!

Although, according to Wikipedia, Mountain Dew returned to the UK last year, and Ireland this year. I guess they market it as an "energy drink" now, instead of a regular soda?
 
:eek: WHAT!? No Mt Dew in the UK?!


First time I ever tasted it was in Pakistan back in 2007, when I came back to the UK I looked for it everywhere but couldn't find any. Actually considered buying it online from some website that sells American sodas and candies.

Recently I've seen Mountain Dew Energy, but that doesn't taste like the original, it also comes in bottles rather than cans. Fizzy drinks always taste better in cans.

spidergoat said:
Except for chips. My cousin from Scotland was sad that we have hardly any chip flavors.


Potato chips/crisps? yeh, we have a lot of different brands and flavours.

quadraphonics said:
I suspect this has something to do with the relatively larger size of grocery stores and shops in the USA. Lots of empty land -> big houses, big stores -> lots of room for different products on the shelves. If you are in Europe and running a grocery that's 1/5 the size of an American one, you have to be very picky about what you do and don't put on your shelves. Only guaranteed hot sellers are worth the space.

That said, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of junk food available in Europe. I practically live on Doner Kebabs when I visit, and various European countries are famous for certain high-cal/high-fat/high-sugar treats (chocolate, pastries, foie gras, etc.).


You've been to Europe and live in the US so I'll have to accept that point about there being smaller stores in Europe. In our household we do the main shopping maybe once a week, and we go to our local corner shop for smaller things like milk, bread, eggs etc. it is more expensive at the local shop so we only pick up a few things, we don't buy crisps or chocolates there (you can't buy multipacks anyway) as it would work out to be too much.

And yes, there is plenty of junk food available. Its much easier and cheaper to eat kebabs and burgers then proper wholesome food.

quadraphonics said:
Huh... never noticed that. No wonder you guys aren't more EXTREME!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneoneoneone!

Although, according to Wikipedia, Mountain Dew returned to the UK last year, and Ireland this year. I guess they market it as an "energy drink" now, instead of a regular soda?


Yeh, just had a look, its called Mountain Dew Energy, comes in a bottle and I can say it definitely doesn't taste like the real thing, I've bought it a couple times but not anymore, can't fool me.

:rolleyes:

We had coca-cola and lime for a limited period, I really liked that drink. Also, I can't seem to find any gatorade.
 
Why would you need gatorade? it never gets hot...
Oh my you HAVE been fed some ridiculous stories about the UK and its weather.

In every single year that I have been alive, for example, I've seen ice cubes melting during the Summer months. That's hot enough for us!
 
You can't get Mountain Dew here as an example. .

I'm sure they trialed Mountain Dew for a while; I seem to recall surprise at seeing it and a cult popularity amongst those who'd been to the states. Never really took off though. Gatorade on the other hand seems to be going ok.

Has Hersheys made it to the UK yet?
 
I'm sure they trialed Mountain Dew for a while; I seem to recall surprise at seeing it and a cult popularity amongst those who'd been to the states. Never really took off though. Gatorade on the other hand seems to be going ok.

Has Hersheys made it to the UK yet?


I had not realized the scale of the Hershey Company, which exports to over 90 countries, with approximately 13,700 employees and net sales in excess of $4 billion.

Hershey strikes deal with UK grocers

By James Thompson

Thursday, 9 December 2010

America's favourite chocolate company will sell its famous bar and its Pieces into the UK

BLOOMBERG

America's favourite chocolate company will sell its famous bar and its Pieces into the UK

The confectionery giant Hershey is to start selling its chocolate in the UK for the first time on a mass scale in Asda and Sainsbury's next year, in an effort to bite a chunk out of the lucrative European market.

Asda, which is owned by the US retail giant Walmart, will sell a range of Hershey products – including Hershey's Kisses, the chocolate shaped like flat-bottomed teardrops – in the majority of its UK food stores in the first three months of 2011.

The UK's second-biggest grocer said it had an "exclusive licence" to sell a range of the products which will be free of the genetically modified ingredients that Hershey uses in the US.

Asda remained tight-lipped on the other Hershey brands, but given the trademarks the US confectioner has listed in the UK, the supermarket is also likely to sell its Mr Goodbar, Hugs and Reese's Pieces brands.

Sainsbury's will only sell Hershey's Kisses in its larger supermarkets from the first quarter of next year. But the grocer currently sells the Reese's Nutrageous peanut bars made by Hershey.
 
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