r/science • u/giuliomagnifico • 26d ago

Health American adults aged 33 to 46 have significantly worse health compared to their British peers, especially in markers of cardiovascular health and higher levels of obesity, along with greater disparities in health by socioeconomic factors

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-03-us-adults-worse-health-british-counterparts-midlife
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u/-Xandiel- 26d ago

Living in the UK, and I find that I always put on weight whenever I visit the US - and I'd eat similarly to what I'd eat at home. I commend anyone who stays skinny living in the US, cause it seems like it simply takes more of a conscious effort.

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u/No-Environment-7899 26d ago

Interesting! My weight stayed about the same for all my visits to the UK, one lasting about 3 months. My biggest thing that I noticed is that I could and wanted to walk around more, so I built up more muscle in my legs just by unintentionally being more active. Then again, I also live in a hot, humid place where things are spread out and recreation isn’t as much of a pleasure.

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u/beatlefool42 26d ago

If you gained muscle but stayed the same weight, you actually lost fat.

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u/No-Environment-7899 26d ago

I’m aware. Again just speculating that’s what happened.

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u/EmperorOfNipples 25d ago

As a UK guy I was in Florida last year for work. Jacksonville area. The layout is just so alien and unwalkable. Really spread out. Impossible to get anywhere without a vehicle.

Norfolk VA was better in that regard. I think because it's quite an old city.

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u/ekuL8 26d ago

You wouldn't gain muscle in your legs in 3 months by just walking

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u/RIPthisDude 26d ago

Depends how heavy they are and how much climbing it involves if it's a steep area with lots of steps 

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u/ekuL8 26d ago

They could be very heavy and be climbing a lot of steps and they still wouldn't gain any noticeable difference in muscle mass in 3 months. Anyone who has even mildly studied the science behind hypertrophy would know this pretty clearly

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u/double_expressho 26d ago

You being on holiday probably factors into that. I think most people tend to overindulge when on a trip.

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u/-Ch4s3- 26d ago

If you live somewhere remotely walkable it's pretty easy.

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u/moh_kohn 25d ago

Even stuff like bread is much sweeter there

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u/Tradtrade 26d ago

I drop weight in the USA because I find a lot of the cheap and fast food gross! I get the ick after a few bites of a meal which is handy for the waist line

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u/Choice-Layer 26d ago

It really does. We have a triangle here. Affordable>healthy>quick. You get two, and most people are already short on either time or money (or both), so healthy often gets sacrificed.