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The Chinese Diet Could Solve The West's Obesity Crisis

independent.co.uk — Chinese food has a bad reputation in the UK. The rice-heavy meals and fatty meat dishes are thought to lead straight to obesity and heart disease. But properly prepared, says Chinese food expert Lorraine Clissold, the very opposite is true: the Chinese way of eating is healthy and fulfilling, fights illness and prolongs life. She also insists...

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  • jstohler, on 07/22/2008, -22/+49As a regular visitor to China, I can state emphatically that Chinese food is NOT healthy. What's healthy is their habit of walking or biking everywhere instead of driving (and even that is beginning to change).
    • Ninnux, on 07/22/2008, -3/+27My wife is Chinese, so I get the homemade stuff often. Lots of vegetables, fruit, and fish. Plus rice. I'm telling you man, it's really unhealthy.
      • dengzhi, on 07/22/2008, -10/+3white people love asian gurls
      • artfiend77, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2I used to LOVE asian girls.....then I moved to Toronto....
    • Hilda21, on 07/22/2008, -5/+6One in four Chinese are overweight or obese. And they have no word for calories!!!
      • emperorpwl, on 07/22/2008, -1/+10yes they do, it's 卡路里
      • HairyFotr, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2One in four Chinese are overweight or obese. And they can't talk about quantites of energy, because they have no word for an unit of energy!!! /sarcasm
      • jarodsu, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Wait...one in four? Are you talking about United States?

        China begins to have a obesity problem but it's no where as bad as United States, which is one of the fattest country in the world.
      • kristofir, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxvn5dvq-xA

        China used to have a very lean population. Obesity recently spiked 97%. Current obesity problems in modern China are caused by Chinese adopting the Western lifestyle: McDonalds and the like.

        o_O
      • ShakeWell, on 07/23/2008, -0/+11 in 4 children maybe. The one child per family thing = lots and lots of spoiled "little emperors" who get all the meat and candy they can eat and more from their parents and grandparents.
    • Daedalus81, on 07/22/2008, -3/+5It is not what you eat. It is how much you eat that counts.
    • Daedalus81, on 07/22/2008, -3/+6*sigh*

      If your metabolism burns 10 times your bodyweight per day and you weigh 200 lbs. You will burn 2,000 calories. If you eat less than 2,000 calories you lose weight. For every 3,600 calories you lose a pound. It's pretty simple.
      • addicted68098, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2There is more to it than that...like if you drink a soda which is only about 120 calories...95% of that sugar will be converted directly to fat.
      • directrix13, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2@addicted68098:
        What makes you think that? If you are using a certain number of calories to do something then your body will get it from where its most convenient. It will store the rest either in the liver or in fat correct?
    • drizzlelicious, on 07/22/2008, -0/+13I'm Chinese... really depends on what kind of Chinese food you eat. In certain places "healthy bread" is a deep fried hot dog bun with mayonaise pumped inside, slices of ham and cucumber. Although I must say, obeisity rates didn't really rise until KFC and McDonalds came to China
      • popfrogs, on 07/22/2008, -2/+4I think it's more coincidental than that. China started getting rich, then KFC and McDonalds came to China because they saw a market open up. Sudden prosperity allowed the Chinese to eat "better" which led to higher obesity.
    • dengzhi, on 07/22/2008, -3/+11jesus i hate everyone who thinks that because they visit China often they are somehow on expert on it. do you have a degree in nutrition, are you a doctor? China has healthy food and also unhealthy food, but on a whole yes, its hard to get fat eating chinese food. US food is fattening.
      • Phyltre, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3I would be more persuaded by your post if having a degree in nutrition or being a doctor had anything whatsoever with being an expert on China.
      • directrix13, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Why did you just chastise someone for making a blanket statement, correct him, and then turn around and make a blanket statement yourself: "US food is fattening." There is a lot of damn healthy "US food" (whatever that term really means), but readily/quickly/easily available prepared food is usually extremely unhealthy in America. About the healthiest food you can get relatively fast in America is probably Chik-Fil-A since it doesn't use trans in their cooking oils, and their food is actually relatively low cal with nice non-breaded alternative sandwiches which still have good taste, IMO (no I do not work for Chik-Fil-A, but after studying the nutrition info for most of the major fast food chains, Chik-Fil-A comes out way on top).
    • neko6, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6From what I've seen in China, its more probable that the US diet would be causing an obesity crisis in China. Its a nation of super-thin people, until you find a McDonalds and see that genetics aren't enough...
    • rockefeller2, on 07/22/2008, -6/+1Good job on taking the opportunity to tell everyone you travel often to China. Wow, you're a world traveler. No one gives a *****.
    • weisonding, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4As someone who's lived in China for the past 6 years, I can state emphatically that Chinese food IS a lot healthier than the food back home in the states; especially with it's smaller portions. Additionally most people take taxis or use public buses to get around these days. nt
      • popfrogs, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Yeah Beijing is reported to have 1200 new cars on the road EVERY DAY. I have a feeling this idea that the Chinese diet is magical is about to get shot down.
    • synwolf, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2FTA:
      "1. Stop counting calories

      The Chinese don't have a word for "calories". They view food as nourishment, not potential weight gain. A 1990 survey found that Chinese people consumed 30 per cent more calories than Americans, but were not necessarily more active."

      I never understood why people begrudged food its energy content.
    • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1What you eat in a restaurant is wayyyy different from what we cook at home on day-to-day basis.
      My mom talks about nutrition balance(or yin/yang balance) all day long and I used to drink no more than 2 bottles of coke each year when I was younger--we drink green tea, green bean soup (more of a beverage than soup) and other stuff that "has more than just sugar", according to my mom.
  • shto, on 07/22/2008, -11/+3And give you a massive constipation
    • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -1/+7Because lots of grain rice, vegetables and fruit really lead to constipation. Really.
      • shto, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Rice does lead to constipation, and it's something typical for their cuisine. And you will find vegetables and fruits in all other world foods, it's not something specific for the Chinese diet.
  • damian7, on 07/22/2008, -11/+6Wheatgrass, bee pollen, green tea, apple cider vinegar, whey protein, brewer's yeast, fish oils

    ^ Take
    • oddturtle, on 07/22/2008, -0/+10you lost me at wheatgrass.
    • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -2/+4God damn hippies.

      Try: Vegetables, honey (instead of sugar to sweeten), green tea, vinegar (any, yum), protein (any is good, but balance it. beans and nuts are great for that), alcohol (forget AA, its liquid bread, its good for you!), fish (as much as you can afford).
      • orlyfactor, on 07/22/2008, -3/+1Forget AA? Try telling that to a recovering alcoholic, you moron. Alcohol is NOT beneficial, it's second in calories/gram only to fats, and like everything else, should not be overdone.
      • MacEnvy, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5@orlyfactor

        I think people should forget AA because they say you have to "give yourself over to a higher power". ***** that. I'd rather give myself over to a busted liver than an imaginary friend.
      • roddack, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3@olryfactor

        AA is stupid because you do not gain anything expect instead of drinking alcohol you now live in fear of it. It still controls you just via a different method.

        Learning to drink in moderation > quitting out of fear because you know what one puts you in control the other doesn't
      • missmalloree, on 08/24/2008, -0/+0thank you orlyfactor

        alot of people just CANNOT drink

        and AA does work it has saved many many lives.

  • chrissku, on 07/22/2008, -10/+5Healthy? Chinese food is loaded with sodium. It's healthy if you're a huge fan of high blood pressure.
    • Vulcan, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5It's been said that the sin of the American diet is sugar and that the sin of the Chinese diet is salt.
  • Psi57, on 07/22/2008, -5/+76American Chinese food != Chinese Chinese food.
    • winmywii, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6Is it still called Chinese food in China?
      • staplez, on 07/22/2008, -2/+4Ironically, no. In China they call it Hong Kong food. I was able to find it in Beijing once. There is a large shopping mall where I finally found General Tsao's chicken, the famous New York dish. Anyway for some odd reason they told me it was from Hong Kong and that all the people from Hong Kong eat it. The odd thing is, Hong Kong is famous for several other types of food so calling this Hong Kongnese is kind of??? I mean I can understand not wanting to call it Chinese, but how did they push that crap on the people from Hong Kong?
      • ShakeWell, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1"The odd thing is, Hong Kong is famous for several other types of food so calling this Hong Kongnese is kind of???"


        ...

        Because other food also come from Hong Kong means that GT chicken does not?

        Logic, people.
    • h4mx0r, on 07/22/2008, -2/+6Of course, but my taste buds prefer American Chinese Food over Chinese Chinese Food with a few specific exceptions.
    • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -10/+5Name one popular chain you can get real chinese food at a major city in America.
      • hwy9nightkid, on 07/22/2008, -0/+11thats an oxymoron..

        real chinese food cannot come from a chain..wtf are you trying to point out?
      • directrix13, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1I wish I knew of one. I would eat there all the time.
    • IglooBurner, on 07/22/2008, -2/+0The only reason its call Chinese food in united states cuz a Chinese person cooked it.
      • staplez, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6No, it's mostly Mexicans who cook it.
      • laughandsing, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Hey.. that's recently. But it's not only Latino people I don't like going to the Chinese place by my house where there are big fat white guys cooking the food. Its not as good as the Chinese restaurant where the food is actually cooked by Chinese people.
    • GoatMonkey2112, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Chinese American food != American American food.

    • vafada, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1so true... the chinese food here in america is crap compared to authentic chinese food.

      The chinese food here are too much "americanized".
      • TheUngod, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Your engrish could take a lesson from our chinese food, and become more "americanized"
        And the food isn't crap, it's just...different. Like, I enjoy taco bell, but not when I want mexican food. "Chinese food" is great here, it's just not authentic. You have to appreciate it for what it is and not what it tries to be.
  • ricksickle, on 07/22/2008, -8/+2Yes, overpopulate the west so that it's not possible to overfeed.
    • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5It will always be possible. We produce a lot of waste food. We are very efficient at food production.
  • daveintokyo, on 07/22/2008, -11/+5They don't get fat from eating carbs because they've been eating carbs since ancient times. They've evolved with the crop. So, their body's insulin resistance (I might have the wrong term here, correct me if I'm wrong) is stronger against rice. Same with Japanese and all Asians in general. Course, there are the fatties here and there, but that's because they eat as much as your average fatass.
    • Stemnin, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Makes sense.. similar to lactose intolerance.
    • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4Makes no sense. We all evolved eating carbs. Grains, bread, rice? The masses ate breads and grains since crop cultivation and yeast were invented/discovered.
    • sphoony, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2You don't know what you are talking about. The rate of diabetes in China is rising. Carbohydrate is carbohydrate. To learn more go here: http://aadi.joslin.harvard.edu/
  • SHUUTOBI, on 07/22/2008, -4/+25Yeah ya might not want to say that, cause most Americans believe American Chinese is real Chinese food...

    An Okinawa diet would probably be a better thing to say, even though you wouldn't have their genes... so don't expect to live longer because of it:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_diet
  • barroni, on 07/22/2008, -9/+3And 20mil Chinese have diabetes

    Chinese food expert Lorraine Clissold. That's is a strange Chinese name
  • macwac, on 07/22/2008, -1/+35Don't consider the Chinese food you get in western countries to be of the same quality of the Chinese food you get in Asia. In fact Chinese food across Asia is very different. Chinese food in mainland versus Chinese food in Taiwan is very different.. same with Chinese food in Singapore or Thailand (note I am not speaking of Thai food, but of Chinese food made by Chinese-Thai, Chinese-Singaporean etc..).

    Coastal cities tend to have much more seafood in their diet, while nearly all Chinese meals have vegetables. Saying Chinese food is healthy/unhealthy would be the same as saying western food is healthy/unhealthy - western food consists of Scandinavian, Italian, French etc.. cuisine. I've travelled all over Asia and Chinese food differs widely - even within China. However I do have to agree that the Chinese diet as a whole - in my eyes - tend to be healthier than the American diet.
    • willi, on 07/22/2008, -1/+6Even Chinese food in different regions of China are different. You really can't generalize Chinese food.
    • hwy9nightkid, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5so true, I had Chinese food in mexico (mexicali) and it was soo much better and cheaper than in san diego.. it's awful here!
    • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2ughh..it might be stereotypical or oversimplified, but in general, I DO think American food has more sugar and fat than any other major cuisines in the world.

      The dessert I eat in an American restaurant may have two times more sugar than what I eat in Italy...In Asia, some iced tea even tastes bitter..

      And there is too much manmade stuff in American's daily diet: sweet n low, Coke zero, seedless watermelon.... they have too many chemicals that might are potentially harzardous to our health...
  • bxblox, on 07/22/2008, -15/+4Chinese Diet:

    Rice
    Lead Paint
    • ShakeWell, on 07/23/2008, -1/+3Your brain:



      • bxblox, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Oh I get it. There's nothing there..... ha...... ha...........
  • bcstereotype, on 07/22/2008, -0/+9All I got from that article is - Eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle and you'll be alright. Simply conjuring up a new 'icon' for solving the obesity crisis doesn't solve the problem at hand. It just guides people into following yet another fad while avoiding the enduring issue.

    ... Apologies for the negativity.
  • sock2828, on 07/22/2008, -2/+4Is it just me or does the digg homepage look unusually small?
  • SillyRabbits, on 07/22/2008, -1/+6Once again, it's not what people eat that's making them fat. It's that they eat enough to feed two people at each meal (of whatever they are eating). And then, the only exercise they get is walking to and from their car. There's no secret. The only problem is that people don't want to hear that the answer is to simply eat less and increase their physical activity. So, they go looking for other solutions.
  • EpicSelekta, on 07/22/2008, -6/+1A western diet (hamburgers, sausages, and lots of meat) would probably help solve the overreproduction problem in China/India. Nothing is less sexy than a fat Asian guy. Well, maybe initially it will (as it's traditionally a sign of wealth in poorer areas) but that fondness for fatties will surely die off.
    • spaceddaisy, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1There's not really a 'western' diet though, a lot of countries in Europe eat more vegetables than meat
  • pcpimpster, on 07/22/2008, -6/+1Pollution

  • kirmizi, on 07/22/2008, -5/+1Vegetables as a large part of your meal sounds great but when they're fried to death in gobs of oil you may as well eat a big mac. I've been in China for 11 years and there is nothing healthy about the Chinese diet and even less that's appetizing.
    • Rudegar, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2if food is not appetizing i eat less
    • pacozorro, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Its true kirmizi, my parents cook with gobs of oil and as a result, they have high cholesterol. Knowing what is in store for me in the future, I've tried to take preventative measures by cooking in non-stick pans using just a dab of oil or non-stick spray. It is a lot less greasy and the vegetables end up a lot crisper and more tasty
      • smacksaw, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Instead, you'll be the vegetable from cooking with Teflon. Yay!
    • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1I have to clear up a little bit here,
      1 Fried vegetables ( it's not deep fry) don't equal to Big Mac, because we eat the vegetables and throw away the oil! For each ounce of oil we cook with, we just intake about 25% or less.

      2 What you eat in a restaurant does not equal to "traditional Chinese food". Nobody cooks at home the same way as restaurants do. Chefs make the food more tasteful no matter what, but at home, moms pay attention to nutrition balance and are very picky about what they cook with.

      3 I can give you a list of over 100 non-fried Chinese vegetable dishes. Those dishes prevail in China where weather is warmer and vegetables are abundant.

      4 From what you said, I can say that you've been in China for 11 years but you didn't really live the life there.
      • kirmizi, on 07/23/2008, -0/+0Let me clear a couple of things up.

        1 I wasn't referring to restaurants since they're obviously not the same as what people eat at home. Also, I meant pan fried not deep fried. That still leaves a lot of oil on the food as compared to raw, steamed or boiled.

        2 I've eaten in many chinese homes and seen how things are cooked. I can give you a list of 100 healthy western dishes but that doesn't mean that people eat them every day.

        3 I didn't even touch upon what passes for meat in chinese cooking since meat isn't so common except in the wealthy person's diet. Fat and skin are seen as good parts of the meat not something to be removed or avoided. Dark meat is preferred to white. As China becomes more affluent and more people can afford more meat in their diet, this certainly helps to explain the expanding waist lines we see.

        Sorry, but I have lived the life in China and while there are some good aspects to the diet, on balance it's not a healthy cuisine at all.
  • michaelzhao, on 07/22/2008, -1/+11i agree with #2...

    as a matter of fact, the mandarin Chinese word for "dish" (as in an entree) is "cai" which translates into "vegetable"

    Chinese people as a whole look at vegetables in a much different manner than Westerners do...

    however... please be aware that the Chinese food you get from the US/UK/Europe is extremely different from actual Chinese food. Most Chinese people wouldn't know but one or two dishes on the menu as most are Westernized...
    • wyrdness, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4I don't understand this westernisation of eastern food. I might prefer the authentic versions. There's a couple of restaurants that my wife and I regularly eat at in London that do authentic eastern food. One is Malaysian and the other South Indian and they serve their respective communities.
      Quite often we're the only white people in the place. The food is both is great and most of the dishes are things that you'd never find in westernised restaurants. I don't mind westernised food, but I find that the authentic dishes are always much better, and often cheaper too.
      • jnoodles, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4What's not to understand? Every culture, Western or otherwise, converts food to their own tastes. The Chinese do it with Western food.
      • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2I have traveled intensively in the USA. Even in cities like LA, SF, NYC, where there is a huge Chinese population, it is still hard to find a restaurant selling "authentic Chinese food". Most of them are just more authentic than others, but few (or for me, none) can compare to what I can eat in China.
    • Kyora, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2There's even a difference between homecooked Chinese meals and authentic restaurant Chinese meals.
  • l31101, on 07/22/2008, -1/+10i'm not surprised. When i was in China, i ate 3 meals a day. I would eat til i could breath anymore (what can i say, the food is great) but no junk food. This was for 3 weeks, and i didn't gain a single pound ( i also slept early and woke up early: 10pm-6am). When i came back to Canada, i ate 2 meals, some junk food, some fast food. I can gain 2-3 pounds within a few days easily.

    The great point the article points out is that fact that the Chinese treat vegetables as part of the meal, not a side dish. Some veggies, when cooked to your likings, can taste really good. I'm a meat person, but sometimes i just crave some stir fried broccoli.

    BUT don't be fooled by some of the "fake" Chinese food in North America. A lot of the Chinese food, especially fast food, are not healthy. They are cooked in a way that are suited to the liking of the people who are not used the real Chinese food. These food are full of fat, salt, and msg. Be careful.
    • mal1964, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3""fake" Chinese food in North America."
      Go to the bad neighborhood and find a scary looking Chinese restaurant with a small sign on the door that is barely visible. You will have "real" Chinese food.
      • Pittance, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1And a real mugging probably too. Or salmonella.
    • jnoodles, on 07/22/2008, -2/+3Real Chinese food can be full of fat, salt, and MSG. Heck, they even put bottles of MSG on the table so you can add more of the crap
      • mal1964, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2MSG is OK for a least 90% of us in moderation, Some people talk like its poison. its used in a lot of Chinese food because most menu items have a lot of vegetables that don't add much flavor because of the fast cooking time in a wok,
    • Haoie, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Do you consider street vendor food junk food?

      Street food is very popular in China.
  • rz8472, on 07/22/2008, -3/+1Watch out, the Chinese might just pick up the American way of eating... look up 'Little Buddhas'...
  • mal1964, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Saimin [ramen] with all the trimmings are full of fat and sodium, But are so 'Ono Kine Grindz!
  • uptown, on 07/22/2008, -8/+3I've had General Tso's Chicken every night for the past three months, and it DEFINITELY doesn't slim the waistline.
  • Zanarkand, on 07/22/2008, -0/+7My wife is from Shanghai, and she cooks regularly. The food she cooks for me here is very healthy and quite tasty. It may have a bit more salt (soy sauce) than I'm use to from home cooking but it doesn't have the fat from fried foods, it contains alot of good vegetables, and in good portions you don't over indulged. In my visits to Shanghai, one thing that I do notice is that every one shares dinners at restaurants. You sit at a table with family, friends etc, and the middle of the table has a round glass spinner that allows everyone to share dishes. This allows you to try everything, but more importantly gives you a smaller portion than eating a whole plate by yourself. You will feel full due to trying all the dishes and since dinner usually last about 2 hours due to it being a more social event you can relax and have time to feel full.
    • vafada, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1"middle of the table has a round glass spinner" = lazy susan
    • Blicketization, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1"every one shares dinners " = eating family style. Anywhere outside the US, this idea is not unique.
    • ktroniq, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1The sharing dinner thing does happen in lots of places but I think it also goes hand in hand w/ the social event of dinner. It's the same as in Europe where eating is a more social event as opposed to America where we're all in a hurry. When you spend time to enjoy your meal and eat it more slowly, talk w/ family and friends, and not rush through it, the food will digest more properly and ultimately be more fulfilling.
    • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Your experience is fun to read. I didn't know this most common stuff (the spinner) in China provoked so many thoughts :)

      The spinner sometimes is bad too especially when you have a huge selection of dishes. Most are just so greedy that they want to try every single dish. They almost always eat more than they need. (well, when I talk about they, I really mean "I")
  • feanix, on 07/22/2008, -1/+5eat less and exercise more
  • kinship, on 07/22/2008, -8/+2Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works. I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I-I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence. I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women, er, women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake...but I do deny them my essence.
    • zimmermans, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Nice quote from Jack D Ripper, but somewhat irrelevant to this conversatoin.
    • drgirlfriend, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2But the mandrakes scream when you remove them from soil.
  • captaindigger, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2I hope there not talking about Western Chinese food. You know the Chicken Balls covered in Sauce and breaded. The Honey Garlic Ribs dripping in Sauce. This stuff is terrible for you, it has 1000 mg of salt per serving. Some of the worse stuff you can eat.
  • shauncorleone, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1If an individual wants to solve their own obesity "crisis", the answer is quite simple: smaller portions. And obviously, make sure that's not just smaller portions of fried mayonnaise balls.
  • Hangly, on 07/22/2008, -2/+3Oh come now. The Chinese are the fattest people in Asia.
    • zimmermans, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Those are the ppl living in cities eating McDonalods. The rest of them aren't.
    • drgirlfriend, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1I think you mean the Japanese, you dolt.
    • antonycao, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2You forgot Indians :)
  • ahtu, on 07/22/2008, -1/+0I just had some Chinese and it was not healthy at all, but it sure was delicious.
  • swinefever, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4I'm a fat bastard. I know it and - for now at least - I'm comfortable with it. I also know that the only way I'm EVER going to lose the weight is to put the poxy fork down and take a walk! One thing that will definitely NOT remedy my situation is eating more chinese food; home cooked or shop bought, it's just not the most healthy diet in the world and besides, eating the same things every day cannot be good for you.

    There is NO magic bullet. There is NO cure-all. There is NO one-size-fits-all diet. I need to eat less, eat less crap, take more exercise.

    Now, I'm off for a deep-fried Mars bar......
    • mahler, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Dude, you are so right.... especially about the magic bullet. All you need is the true wish to change... if you want to have a comfortable sized body badly enough, you'll be aware of and prevent most of the steps which take you away from your goal.
  • depaulBaatar, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Aren't Chinese adopting a Western diet these days?
    • glmory, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Yes, and they are getting fat because of it.
  • WyldeJ, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2Burger or squid? Tough choice.
  • Regbooker, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Stop eating for two persons and exercising regularly could solve the West's obesity problem.
  • nakile, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2They must have confused "Chinese" with "Japanese."
  • nsundeepreddy, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1You eat enough of anything, it will result in obesity. Sorry guys there is no magic food that you can overeat and still not be obese.
  • Areiadebondi, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Once again - old news rewritten in another story.
  • mizlane, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2No one has said anything about the hormones......... in OUR meat which I imagine has contributed vastly to our demise... My daughter in law's parents recently came here from China and they cooked extremely healthy... Very little meat, lots of fresh veggies coated with light sauces, homemade dumplings, boiled in water then eaten, or pan fried in cooking spray. They are very health conscience. Also they drank only teas.. coffee or water no sugary soft drinks loaded with empty calories...
  • kris2pe, on 07/22/2008, -2/+6Here's tip from an Asian! Have SMALLER SERVINGS!!!
    I been to America and quite frankly I am astound by your food servings! It could literally feed 5 people sometimes!
    Certainly not surprise why American's are FAT!!!
    • palmdoc, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4Absolutely. Not so much as what you eat but how much you eat. American size helpings are ginormous!
    • rockefeller2, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4When I go out to eat I typically just eat half of what I'm served and take the other half home to eat as a second meal.
  • ucbrave92, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4I have been saying this for a while. When I studied in China for 4 months I lost over 20 pounds and the food was outstanding.
  • sh0rtstop00, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1no wonder I'm so skinny, I've been eating Chinese food all my life!!
  • dstz, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Moving our collective asses off the couch for 2 hours a day, to have any ***** activity imaginable.. gardening.. sexing.. running.. WHATEVER... will solve the "obesity crisis".

    EVERYTHING ELSE IS *****.

    SO one word: pleasure. If you don't find in yourself the pleasure to do ***** anything, there's no amount of delusional diet that will help you. Move. Move. MOVE.
  • Antimatter85, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1I agree with the majority of the article, but I dispute their recommendation that people eat three square meals per day. If you're looking to lose weight, you'd be better off eating 5-6 smaller meals during they day (or large snacks in between 3 smaller meals at normal times). This prevents your metabolism from boosting and crashing, and keeps things on an even keel (your blood sugar will thank you).

    As a supplement, I suggest this article from NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/dining/11mini.ht ...
  • dengzhi, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5have you been to KFC in China? a large coke and large fries is the size of an American small coke and small fries. it's no wonder the americans are fat!
  • whoamarcos, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1"I think we've got a really *****-up view of how the body should look, and that it's how we look, rather than how we feel, that matters.""

    So true.
  • 0xbaadf00d, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1All crab rangoon diet? I'm in.
  • Zippo, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Eat healthy food instead of greasy, fatty fast food; take public transportation or bike to places, and get a bit and run around instead of sitting on your ass all night long watching American Idol... You'll lose weight.

    Genetics also play their part. Some people are more prone to being overweight than others.
    • glmory, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Genetics only plays a small part. Fifty years ago Americans had the same genetics but were a lot less fat.
    • agentmedia, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1Somehow in the 1850's genetics didnt apply
  • dpoon, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6Many of the "Chinese" dishes popular with many Westerners are actually heavily modified for the Western palate, and rarely eaten by Chinese people. Keep in mind also that restaurant food is not nearly as healthy as home cooking. Restaurant food has more oil, sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG. That's as true for Chinese cuisine as it is with Western cuisine. The regular Chinese diet that the article is talking about certainly does not include General Tso's chicken and dim sum. If you've never seen real Chinese food before, just take a restaurant dish and imagine how your mom would cook it.
    • ta10n, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Also, as far as Restaurants go, Chinese people will generally be ordering off of a separate menu entirely. It's not that we have a secret menu with better food (well kinda), it's primarily that it doesn't have any of the "westernized" dishes.

      Saying "Chinese" food is healthier probably is incorrect as far as most westerners are concerned. However, when I say "Chinese" food, I generally think about how my parents, and grandparents cooked and ate. I can assure you that, it is by far healthier (More vegetables, extremely balanced, less refined ingredients, etc...).
  • kingofinternet, on 07/22/2008, -3/+1i think it's because they put pee pee in their coke.
  • selenamiler, on 07/22/2008, -2/+0I think that all diet we have to confirm with our doctor.
  • slantyeyed, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Why do people have to make excuses for being fat?
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