Finally... Why are Chinese People Skinnier than Us?

I have been meaning to write about this for a while now, and I finally compiled my thoughts and have time to explain and theorize why Chinese people are skinnier than us. Perfect example... my sister and I lost weight in the time we have spent in China... so it IS China and it's food that is the reason for this glory (not JUST, or even at all, genetics).

First let me begin by saying that in the US, I was NOT eating healthy or exercising at all. I would attempt to exercise but since I cannot sit still for too long and get bored easily, I worked out for about 30 minutes at a time. I also loved to eat Spicy Cheetos, guac with tortilla chips, sometimes Ramen noodles (guilty!), etc. Now if that if that is not a bad habit, then I don't know what is. Since I have a car in the US, I was also driving to places where I could have walked to (it didn't help that Madison is freezing almost all the time, so a car WAS convenient). People just get lazy when it comes to food and exercise, which is a problem that I notice now, I had. I'm not saying I was super unhealthy, but I was definitely NOT healthy. With that brief background provided, let me get into life in China.

Everyday I wake up and I almost always get 8 hours of sleep (and I have a schedule). I usually lay in my bed for a bit and read the news (even if it's my favorite Urban site... it's still some kind of news), peep RihannaDaily.com, listen to music and get ready for work. I mentioned that I am beginning to work out before work now, only if I am not too tired and/or lazy. I have to admit I do NOT eat breakfast or lunch usually, because I miss breakfast time since I wake up at 11AM, and when I get to work I START working, so I miss my lunch. Oops, that is not a good habit to develop. I realize this, so I will now buy fruit in the market next to my house and eat that for breakfast. Sometimes I eat red bean sweet bread from a bakery, but I have to go downtown to get it and that rarely happens. I also bought milk recently because I have noticed some changes with my body which I am not happy with, so I need to make sure my nutrients are UP.

Next, I walk to work for 30 minutes, which is already some exercise right there! At work I don't walk around, and I sit at a desk, but this keeps me from foolishly eating random things when I'm bored, which I did in the US. If we ever have snacks at work, it's usually some kind of cookies which are NOT as sweet as in the US (side note: OREOs were sold in China the same way they are in the US, and the business almost had to stop selling them here because no one liked them since they were TOO sweet. Then OREO developed a much less sweet version of the black and white cookie, and that is what people eat here now), fruit, some kind of crackers, or meat with the bone... or chicken feet. At work I always drink tea and have recently began to drink coffee (we do not have coffee here, so I bought my own, over priced, coffee in the grocery store). If I have to teach after work I walk to another building (more exercise). I either eat a little somethin somethin before class (which I must admit is not healthy...it's a greasy, salty, spicy pancake), or I eat a big dinner after class. Like I mentioned, I like to cook for myself and when I do, I cook only vegetables or tofu (I'm a little nervous to cook and buy meat here myself because of one thing: germs). If I eat at a restaurant I usually over eat because the food is so delicious. I also always eat rice and almost always drink beer with my dinners. After dinner I eat my favorite ice cream which is vanilla with some kind of purple fruit and caramel or some kind of sweet liquid balls (sounds gross now that I write it, but it's so good) with a chocolate shell (and I typically DO NOT enjoy chocolate).

So as you can see, there are many differences with food and eating habits in just that one paragraph alone. It seems like I never eat processed foods, but actually after Joanna came to visit and brought me so much American junk food, that is not the case anymore. When I eat food here I feel differently than when I eat food in the US. The food here just FEELS healthier... more real, more nutritious. I also add lots of soy sauce and spices to my dishes, but I need some zing in my food or else I would look like a stick from not eating anything! Oh yea, and I love fish here... so that is very healthy. To demonstrate the less sweet desserts in China thing (if they ARE even considered desserts) is a situation when I gave my friend Kobe some chocolate that I absolutely adore from Poland, bought in the US. Actually it is more like fudge with caramel... not chocolaty at all. This candy is called KROWKI. He tasted it and said, "This is SO SWEET!" Well of course it's sweet, but isn't that the point? It's crazy how sweet he thought it was. So the Chinese eat less sugar, AND less salt than Americans...

In light of these new observations, let me make a clear list of the differences.

The Chinese...

eat MUCH less sugar and less salt.

do not eat nearly as much processed food as we do.

eat much more fish and vegetables.

use lots of flavorful spices that could potentially fight off disease.

have a much more active lifestyle (walk everywhere, take the subway, and most do not own cars).

do not finish the food on their plate if they are full.

ALWAYS leave food on the table after a meal.

do not eat fattening snacks as much as Americans (vanilla lattes, candy, chips) and instead eat dried meat, peanuts, SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

do not really eat dessert, and instead eat orange slices or WATERMELON (for example at KTV, we ate a ton of fruit like: watermelon, cantaloupe, star fruit, dragon fruit, cherry tomatoes [yes, cherry tomatoes are considered a fruit here which is why they decorate birthday cakes frequently]).

eat meals at regular times and go to bed before they are hungry again.

(women) do not drink beer and always drink tea or hot water instead of alcohol (and the Chinese choose to drink coconut milk and orange juice instead of soft drinks any day).

do not eat a BIG lunch AND a BIG dinner, but eat either or.

do not eat dairy at all, almost.

tell each other they are fat. Yes, the do. When I lost weight here, it was a trending topic (lil mama number number sign [whoever gets this is my soul mate bahahahha]) amongst my students, and they were not too afraid to tell me. They also tell each other when they have gained weight, "You look fat".

And that is why Chinese are skinnier than people in the US: LIFESTYLE! They don't WANT to be fat, and CAN avoid it, unlike many Americans.