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We visited The Netherlands and Belgium, made some very interesting, and unexpected discoveries!

First, the French Fries in Amsterdam are "vunderful"… especially with that delicious mayonnaise (be sure to buy our upcoming book: "The French Fry and Mayonnaise Diet!"). OK… so we DID miss our Dairy Queen… and had to somehow compensate! Oh…the sacrifices we make for our profession!

In this column we focus on health and fitness. So, let’s make some "first impression" comparisons between the general health and fitness of Europeans, and us here in America….

In all of our travels, we have seen that the U.S. is not alone in both the pressing need to improve the overall components of lifestyle as evidenced in a high percentage of obesity, and sedentary-related diseases, coupled with a positive movement toward improving things by education, support, and, of course, new and improved fitness facilities. However, it was apparent to both of us that, on the average, Europeans are thinner, and more active, than Americans (do we sense a connection here?!).

The average North American is more than 16 pounds heavier than the average Northern European. Additionally, we have almost three times as many morbidly obese people as Sweden, and four times as many as the Netherlands.

According to statistics, Europeans enjoy a 20 percent lower incidence rate of Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes, than Americans. It is estimated that at least 11 million people in the United States have Type II diabetes, which can often be controlled or prevented through weight management and improved life-style.

Yet by our standards they are doing everything wrong.

On the surface, it would seem that the Europeans do everything WRONG in regards to eating right. Low-fat and no-fat cookies, cakes and desserts are virtually nonexistent in Europe.

Europeans get almost no "state-of-the-art" diet advice thrown at them like we do. Food labels with fat and calorie content are only seen in the UK

So why is it that apparently, and statistically, Europeans are thinner, and more generally "FIT" than we are?

Here are some of our observations:

• Our food portions are HUGE compared to Europeans.

Europeans seem have more appreciation for the quality of food. In American, quantity rules!! Muffins are now five times or more their original size. Pastry shops sell doughnuts the size of plates, perhaps 10 times larger than the originals.

• The "NO FAT" approach to weight loss has been overemphasized in America

Europeans haven't been indoctrinated with the low-fat/no-fat nonsense. It's a myth that it's just the fat in your diet that makes you fat. ... It doesn't make any difference where your calories come from.

• We don't get nearly as much informal exercise.

If you see a jogger in Paris or Brussels, it's probably an American. Europeans are walkers; we are drivers and passengers. They have a great advantage in that things are much closer together in their cities. Also, throughout The Netherlands and Belgium, we saw bicycles EVERYWHERE! Old, young, man, woman and child… what a GREAT way to travel (and easy on the environment, too!)

• American food is systematically stripped of fiber.

The American diet seems to treat fiber (the indigestible part of fruits and vegetables) with more loathing than cockroaches. Europeans eat much more high-fiber (whole grain) bread, cereal, fruits and vegetables than we do. A recent survey found that most Americans who ate any whole-grain food at all ate less than a serving a day. More than half consumed no whole-grain cereals during the previous two weeks.

• Americans have developed a fortress of excuses and justifications.

We have developed an attitude of inevitability, victimization and rationalization around obesity. Last year's big excuse was, "I have the fat gene." Strange how the gene seems to manifest itself only on this side of the Atlantic.

This year's big excuse is, "I'm fat but I'm fit, and that's all that counts." Wrong. You may have good cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure levels, but all that fat takes an inevitable toll. Studies dating back literally a hundred years show clearly that the fatter you are, the shorter your life expectancy.

• We're tied to the Television

Americans watch more than four hours of television a day on an average, more than twice the average European. This fattens us up by keeping us from doing calorie-burning activity and by bombarding us with tempting food commercials. This is especially true with younger Americans. Researchers reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that "television viewing was the best single correlate" to children's fatness.

• We're in too much of a hurry

Europeans generally take life easier, with longer vacations and (more importantly here) longer meals. Americans seem to have a need to get our food fast and gulp it down even faster, turning what should be a sensual experience into a drag race.

One of the most exciting programs that we learned of in Europe was quite unusual, and tremendously innovative. It is being developed to address the problem of obesity and lack of physical fitness amongst the young (an issue that both Trish and I feel very strongly about).

Unfortunately, the many education systems have fallen short of providing an effective health and exercise program for young people. Well, Europe has done something about it!

There is a program in place whereas children from public schools are being offered the opportunity to utilize the facilities of local fitness centers under the sponsorship of Insurance Companies and other local businesses. What a great plan! Whole classes full of kids are filling up gyms, and learning how to exercise, and getting all the benefits! Extraordinary.

As usual, we were fascinated, and energized, by our brief European adventure. We discovered many differences, some good, some bad, and some just plain interesting. But, without a doubt, we as Americans will benefit from following some of the positive examples and innovative programs of our European neighbors. And the Belgium Chocolate ain’t bad, either!

TABLE 1:

Sweden 5.3 9.1

Netherlands 8 10

England 13 15

Germany 17.2 19.3

U.S.A. 32 33.5