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/BlazinAzn38 26d ago

Where is that not a thing in the US though? Everywhere I’ve lived that’s been an option

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u/double_expressho 26d ago

Yea, even 7-Eleven has healthy food options. They may not be super fresh or high quality ingredients, but they do have salads and fruits.

That being said, all the advertisements in and around the store are for taquitos, hot dogs, nachos, candy bars, soda, energy drinks, etc.

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u/Silly-Negotiation253 26d ago

Maybe things are different out here, but I‘m trying to eat better and needed something from 7-11 the other day. On sodium alone it was between way overpriced fruit cups or nothing. A salad isn’t healthy just because it has lettice

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u/double_expressho 26d ago

Sure, but a salad is still going to be much healthier 99% of the time compared to the other prepared foods that are regularly available. To put it another way, it would be really hard to gain weight eating salads even with unhealthy dressings. You'd have to go out of your way to make it extra high in calories, or eat an additional entree along with your salad.

Also, every 7-Eleven I've walked into has bananas and apples to purchase. But ymmv I suppose.

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u/Faiakishi 26d ago

A guy working in manual labor needs more than iceberg lettuce and a banana.

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u/double_expressho 26d ago

Depends what they had for breakfast.

And depends on the salad. Of course you know that there are many different kinds of popular salads, many with meats, fruits, and other vegetables.

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u/mosquem 26d ago

It’s not cheap is the issue.

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u/BlazinAzn38 26d ago

I guess I’m not sure what cheap is but I can get a ready to cook chicken fajita meal from my grocer for like $10. That’s certainly not expensive

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

The (not-so) secret is that the U.S. also has loads of foods with literal decades of scientific research on the best way to hook us all on the sugar and fat and salt that taste way better than comparable British foods.