If Thе Fооd In Itаly Is Sо Muсh Bеttеr, Why Аrе Thеrе Fеwеr Оbеsе Pеоplе Thаn In Thе Usa?

Tricky question to answer really I guess, and especially without upsetting the American members we have on here, haha! Maybe Italian cuisine is healthier so they can eat a lot more of it without it affecting their health? Maybe Italians are more restraint at what and maybe more importantly when they eat? I'm in the UK and we have a similar culture to the US now when it comes to food, and we tend to eat a lot of fast food and at unhealthy times of the day, possibly due to the fact that our lives are so hectic and we see food as something we need to live, rather than something to savour and actually enjoy.

In Italy they tend to have a more relaxed pace of life and when they stop and eat they actually stop and eat...take their time over it and it's more of a social event than just a meal, so maybe that has something to do with it? I'm just speculating of course but...sounds reasonable (and it's the only reason I could think of, haha!)

 

Because Italians don't mess up the food, don't use ketchup on the Pizza (for example), or additional toppings. They usually eat regularly, I mean on time. Not Fast food, most of the time healthy food with fresh ingredients.

 

I believe it is because they cook homemade dinners and they don't eat out quite as often. @Italianpot fresh ingredients are always used and the dishes are more healthy when prepared you hit the nail on the head when you stated that. Italy is rich in many healthy foods, fish, Olive Oil, and numerous fresh vegetables etc.

 

AngelaMc, thank you very much.

If you can, please visit my blog with classic Italian recipes: Authentic and Traditional Italian Recipes | Italianpot
Buon appetito!

 

Your welcome @Italianpot, you have a great blog site. Your recipes are true Italian classics. Every recipe had fresh ingredients, and I'm definitely going to make some of them. I never attempted to make the Italian Cream Puffs before, I have made the Cannolis though which didn't turn out bad at all, so I'm going to attempt the Cream Puffs. I love sweets. Thank you for sharing your Blog Site. I bookmarked it, to try more of your recipes.

 

AngelaMc, You are very kind! My blog is still under construction, but thank you very very much! If you like sweet, the Cream Puffs are really good, but you cannot miss the Tiramisu, my recipe is very genuine! Please let me know your feedback!

 

I'm also going to visit your blog as well @Italianpot if that's alright, as I'm looking for some inspiration on new Italian meals to make. I am a fairly good cook but tend to stick to the usual recipes and I'm starting to get bored with making the same things now. I've found that's often the case, and a lot of people that are really good in the kitchen tend to stop coking altogether and rely on ready meals, not because they prefer them, just because they want to add a bit of variety into the meal times and they can't think of what else to make.

 

@pwarbi, Thank you very much for your comment! As I told AngelaMc, my website is still under construction, so if you see something weird please send me feedbacks. I am 100% Italian (as you can tell from my english, I know is not very good), so if you like the really genuine Italian recipe, italianpot.com it worth a look.

If I am not asking a lot, a FB Like or feedback is really appreciated!
Buona giornata

 

There are several reasons why as some people have mentioned, but mainly it's a way of life (with no rushed lunch hours and a proper dinner time) where people do cook from fresh and there is less fast food available. To be honest, pizza is often just for tourists and during my time in Italy which was several months, I only ate pizza three times. Quite simply there is so much more choice, and not everywhere offers it.

There are still overweight people, perhaps due to a lack of exercise or drinking more wine? People forget digesting food is so important (and takes time), and in the US you are given 10-15 minutes for a break most of the time.

 

Good question! The thing is that most likely Italian food (in general) has to be more healthy than the American fast-food, so we can eat more and don't gain as much weight as if it's fast-food. The life style makes a difference too, so maybe Italians exercise more?

 

As I put myself, I think it's the whole lifestyle that is the key here, because although Italian food does tend to be healthy, it can be high in calories depending on what you have. Also the amount eaten can be looked at as well, and while Italians do spend a lot of time at the table eating, that's more because dinner is a social occasion rather than just an excuse to eat, so I found hen I was over there that while they was sat around the table for upto 3 hours, the amount of food they consumed wasn't all that much compared to say somebody who goes for a meal in another country.

 

Surely. If we have a pizza with a lot of cheese (and it also depends on the type of cheese used), we are certainly not having a healthy meal. Even so, that pizza will be more healthy (or at least use healthier ingredients) than fast-food chains that use highly processed ingredients. Ultimately, it's all about the way the food industry is structured.

 

The way a food is cooked and the ingredients used, does play a significant factor in how healthy or not it is like you say. A pizza from Pizza Hut will be a lot less healthier than one from a family owned restaurant in a small Italian town. I think that's why when a lot of people go to Italy for the first time they are actually surprised by the food they are given. People think a Pizza is a Pizza so they will enjoy it the same as what they do back home and sometimes that's not the case at all.

Even though the ingredients and toppings might sound the same, more often than not they will taste different and will be of a far better and healthier quality. If you're greedy and love food like me though, they turn out not to be healthier as I just tend to eat more than what i would do normally, haha!

 

Yeah, they are not the same. They buy industrial quantities of industrial foods, and sell them at a very high price, and our health suffers. Fast food chains I mean.

Nothing like having a traditionally cooked pizza, tastes entirely differently, and the effect on our health is way more positive.