Since my arrival to the USA I was completely shocked with food quality! And how much weight I was gaining at fast rate was INSANE! The same happened to work and travel students I met - all of those beautiful girls gained 10-15 pounds over the summer while they stayed in the US.
You guys are SO SO right about not being able to escape it. I mean, I love chicken and even organic chicken does not compare to regular chicken sold at French supermarkets. Chinese food tastes like synthetic in the US, I totally agree!
Oh yes, no one in France (Ukraine or Russia) goes to workout. I mean some people do, but probably about 5% of population, not more. If you ever eat with French or Ukrainians or Russians, you see that they consume 3-4 portions of salads and baked red meat with beer or wine or vodka, lots of bread and cakes, pies, tortes. Girls love to eat chocolate with champagne in Ukraine and they stay FIT without spending a single day in the gym! However, I have a female Russian friend in the US, who is a local model. She is working at the fitness club and works out every day. But she broke a leg once and was staying at home for a month, she didn't eat much, but gained a whooping 20 pounds in 1 month!!!!!! When I saw her, I laughed and it made her cry. So food in the USA is poison, that's why people are FAT, not because they are lazy or eat too much.
I am not sure if you guys are aware of Fulbright scholar exchange program, I am sure some of you at least heard about it. It was established by William Fulbright, who was a U.S. senator back in 60's. So in relation to this topic, Fulbright also proposed so called "Chicken Tax" to ban European trucks from entering U.S. market after European countries BANNED imports of U.S. made chicken. The reason France and Germany banned US chicken was HUGE amount of all kinds of antibiotics, hormones etc. Wow, what a wise decision!
I say Europe actually cares about its citizens and guess what America cares about? Money. Nothing else. People in America are led into poisonous food that makes them obese and sick and no one cares because Monsanto and others making BIG bucks and pay politicians. Here is some more info:
Subsequently, the Dutch accused the U.S. of dumping chickens at prices below cost of production.[10] 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
I can also add that in Europe there are more than 2 types of music on the radio. You know, in the US there is only hip-hop and alternative rock. I grew up listening to dance music, besides Chicago, no one in the Midwest knows who is Tiesto or Armin Van Buuren. Enigma, another amazing project no one heard of. Music is just one of the examples, there are hundreds of others. How many people that live in Wisconsin have crossed border to go to Canada? Maybe about 2-3% of population

And how many Americans actually know and care about politics in Canada, their major trading partner? Almost none. Amazing... everyone lives in a shallow brain prison and don't even want to realize it.
Movie 'Matrix' is the best about US population. I wish someone would distribute red pills to Americans, so they wake and see that their life, their relationship, their family and their interests are SO shallow that they mean completely nothing and their lives are just useless bricks in a huge machine of consumption and obesity.