Reading this whole post really has made me wonder what it is about Americans and obesity. Specifically, it can't really just be high carbs, as lots of Europeans eat high carbs & we are certainly bigger than they are - and not in a good way! Anyone have any theories? Do we just eat too much? Have studies been done - is it really just Big Gulps and McDonalds, and Atkins is a way of weaning ourselves from overeating in a ketosistic way (I know that's not a word)?

I live in NYC, where people are a bit slimmer than in other parts of the country. My husband lives in Ohio, and when we go there to visit and go out for meals, the portions sizes are unbelievable. We went to a chain Italian restaurant there - I think it was called Macaroni's or Spaghetti's (or something similar), and the portion they put in front of me could have fed a family of six! And a lot of these midwestern cities aren't exactly walking towns. Whenever we visit his midwestern relatives, in Ohio and Illinois, we basically go from the car to the restaurant to home. Anyway, my personal theory is that this country is so huge that we use cars because we have to - the distances are too far to bike or walk. And those dang chain restaurants, giant elephant size popcorn at the movies, and Big Gulps! 'All-you-can-eat' buffets seem to be an American phenomenon, too. My parents take that challenge very seriously! Well, that's my completely unresearched theory. LOL!