There is much much more than that! You guys described "the American way" of looking into this problem. I used to exercise, but currently don't have enough time and there is a health condition that prevents me from exercising. I've gained around 20 lbs and have a belly now.
However, few things:
1. People do drive! Average American just simply cannot bike anywhere, unless he lives next to his work. Have you tried biking on the road? Drivers honk at you, some douchebags yell stupid shit, you also have a chance of being run-over by some blonde soccer mom driving a huge Chevy Suburban and talking on the cell phone about her lame husband to another dumb soccer mom. I used to bike a lot "for fun" when I lived in Ukraine, I would bike for weeks. I would get up in the morning, take my bike and go to see my friends around the neighborhood. Of course, everyone lives in a high-rise apartments in Ukraine, so biking takes less time and there are also spaces for it everywhere. Although roads are beat-up with pot holes, biking is not looked down upon at all! People bike a lot, especially kids bike for fun everywhere.
In the U.S. cities are BUILT for cars in mind! Most suburban streets DO NOT have sidewalks. And what if you try to walk on the sidewalk to a local grocery store and carry your bags home in your hand??? Drivers will laugh at you, people will think you are poor or some loser! NOT THAT way in Europe! Everyone is carrying groceries home in hand and it is normal!
So 2 things: pressure from the society and simple layout of cities and suburbs
2. Food! Processed, not fresh, full of preservatives, GMO, hormones, pesticides. Imported from all over the world (actually, European imports are definitely a good thing. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have around 50% of food imported from Europe!). High fructose corn syrup is EVIL that killing people as cigarettes or drugs! It should've been banned long time ago! No other country is using HFCS so heavily, only the U.S.! Also, try going to Europe or Mexico and try a regular Coca-Cola there. You will be SHOCKED, it tastes waaaay better and more "natural" than U.S.-made. One of reasons why - it has "REAL" sugar in it!
For example, French and German governments had tried to ban U.S. chicken long time ago due to male virility concerns because U.S. chicken contained all kinds of estrogen hormones and other stuff. American government created a ban on European made trucks as a return measure! That's why American trucks are so shitty now, because they faced almost no competition for years. Read here:
The French government banned U.S. chicken and raised concerns that hormones could affect male virility.[10] German farmers' associations accused U.S. poultrymen of artificially fattening chicken with arsenic.[10] In fact, U.S. chicken farmers, with Food and Drug Administration approval, had treated chicken feed with antimony, arsenic compounds, or estrogen hormones to stimulate growth.[10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
GMO content. U.S. is the highest GMO food producer. Nearly 80% of food in the U.S. contains GMO! I am not sure where I've seen this data, but that is terrible if you ask me! Only 20-30% of people can afford to shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and what is worse? Those stores are ONLY available in large cities. So freedom is not so free in America! If you want to eat organic, you have to really try hard!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneticall ... d_organism
3. Restaurants! Yes, noted Fast Food chains! As we all know, there are almost ZERO restaurants in casual dining that offer reasonable priced cooked food that is also organic! The only large chain that I know is Chipotle, which is half-way decent considering their burrito price is similar to McDonald's menu, but way more natural for sure. (By the way - term "Natural" is not regulated by FDA, anything can be called natural in America, even lighting bulbs!).
So if you live somewhere far away from decent restaurants, where do you go to eat? The only choices I see is Wendy's, BK, McDonald's or Subway. They are all junk! Except they now offer salads, but have you tried European salad??? With a few bites of organic cheese, lots of fresh ripe veggies, like tomatoes and cucumbers and organic mayo or olive oil? THOSE ARE AMAZING! Fast food salads are a joke! Bunch of watery green leaves with dressing that has as many calories as a hamburger!!!
So are you really free in America in your restaurant choices??? NO! You are in jail if you want to eat healthy! Thank God, I live next to a Trader Joe's right now, it saves me big time.
4. Work outs! Americans go to work out, but gyms are the most ANTI-SOCIAL places I've ever f***ing seen!!! Men are lonely walking around, everyone wears headphones, some dudes listen to heavy rock so loud that I can hear it across the room! That just shows how stressed out everyone around is! How sad and lonely! Where is team spirit? Where is this "social gathering place" feel? Gyms are supposed to be for sport-minded people to work out, but also a place of communication and safe introduction. That's how it is in Europe - people talk in gyms, at least sometimes!
Also conception that you go to the gym because it is the only way to KEEP yourself good looking, NOT to improve your looks, but to keep yourself from falling into disrepair! WTF is that??? In Ukraine guys who go to the gym are the brave ones to IMPROVE their already decent looks! Not many of those guys watch their diet, they just want to develop muscle and better looks. Of course there are some crazy body-builders as everywhere, but in general you get the point. GIRLS that go to the gym ARE VERY open to meet other guys, some of them join gyms hoping to meet someone new and interesting! I used to work out casually at a local gym in Ukraine when I was 16, I remember these things very well.
5. Culture! Try to give your kids some national dish, like "borsh" veggy soup to school instead of pizza or hamburger. Other kids will make fun of him! Retarded f***s. as stupid as their parents! "Ha-ha, look at that "Immigrant" kid eating crappy soup, while we Americans eat haburgers". Nevermind that veggy soup is 100 times more healthy, no one on TV shows it and no one around claims "it is American".
Try to go to a sporting event and not eat hot dogs or pizza or drink beer - you will be called "gay", I guarantee it!
Therefore, another problem is ignorance and lack of education and food consumption culture! Some Americans are not even used to eating with fork and knife anymore! Most people don't even have family dinners anymore. Do any Americans even know how to cook? Cooking is now a hobby of chosen few, not a practice for masses!
Needless to say, people don't know how much fun could it be to have a large dinner with alcohol drinks, loud music and jokes! That's how they still do it in Western Europe, that's how they do it in Russia or Ukraine. In America, you come to a party, hold a beer in your hand and stand in a crowd talking about some empty non-sense stuff while everyone is SO scared of saying something "creepy" or looking "creepy". What is even a point of those "parties"? What is so "fun" about them? Just so another dumb blonde can call another dumb blonde and proudly state that "oh, I had SO MUCH FUN LAST NIGHT", but she is bull-shitting, she knows it and another stupid blonde knows it too, so they both lie to each other and stay sad and empty deep inside! WOW, FAKE FAKE FAKE! It's just all very sad!
I can go on and on about these things! You see, there are tons of things preventing healthy lifestyle in the U.S. It seems like only the rich ones can afford it or very conscious people that understand how it works.