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liuzhou

liuzhou

19. Did You Ever See A Fat Chinese?

 

1720468001_fatchinese.thumb.jpg.ffb24ce850b1d163ca1ba8e64dc76ece.jpg

 

This advertisement from the Rice Council of America in 1967 is one of the dumbest thing I've ever seen. The obvious answer to their offensive racial stereotyping is “Yes! Often!” Had these cretins never seen a picture of Chairman Mao?

 

But the myth that all Chinese are super-slim lingers on. It is utter nonsense. I read things like this

 

Quote

There are many cultures in this world that eat far tastier food than the average American / Canadian yet the people of that culture are generally healthy and not overweight. Japan, Thailand, China, Korea, France, Italy .


What?

 

Never seen a sumo wrestler? French and Italian people are generally not overweight?

But I’m here to talk about Chinese people.

 

Historically, but within living memory, people were generally slim, yes. Because they were starving!

 

Between 1959 and 1961, it is estimated that between 15 and 55 million people died from starvation, thanks to Mao's insanity. And it took many years after for the survivors and their offspring to avoid lesser hunger. Several of my friends, some only in their 20s, tell me they remember childhood as being hungry.  Yet, even then there were the overweight.

Today, official figures indicate that over 50% of Chinese people are overweight with 16.4% obese, as reported here. And the number is rising. I see this every day! The fattest person I’ve ever seen was Chinese. He was being wheeled around in a barrow as he was too overweight to walk. Almost ever day, I walk past one of the local hospitals with its large sign pointing to the weight control clinic.

I know many people here who are overweight. Not critically, but they certainly wouldn't be described as slim. And I know slim (usually women) friends who fret about their weight obsessively as everywhere else.

 

There is a general perception that this rise in weight is due to the introduction of American fast food as introduced by the likes of KFC and McDonald's, but I'm not so sure it's just that. While I've no doubt they play their part, many of the overweight people I know have never eaten that type of 'food'.

liuzhou

liuzhou

19. Did You Ever Seen At Chinese?

 

1720468001_fatchinese.thumb.jpg.ffb24ce850b1d163ca1ba8e64dc76ece.jpg

 

This advertisement from the Rice Council of America in 1967 is one of the dumbest thing I've ever seen. The obvious answer to their offensive racial stereotyping is “Yes! Often!” Had these cretins never seen a picture of Chairman Mao?

 

But the myth that all Chinese are super-slim lingers on. It is utter nonsense. I read things like this

 

Quote

There are many cultures in this world that eat far tastier food than the average American / Canadian yet the people of that culture are generally healthy and not overweight. Japan, Thailand, China, Korea, France, Italy .


What?

 

Never seen a sumo wrestler? French and Italian people are generally not overweight?

But I’m here to talk about Chinese people.

 

Historically, but within living memory, people were generally slim, yes. Because they were starving!

 

Between 1959 and 1961, it is estimated that between 15 and 55 million people died from starvation, thanks to Mao's insanity. And it took many years after for the survivors and their offspring to avoid lesser hunger. Several of my friends, some only in their 20s, tell me they remember childhood as being hungry.  Yet, even then there were the overweight.

Today, official figures indicate that over 50% of Chinese people are overweight with 16.4% obese, as reported here. And the number is rising. I see this every day! The fattest person I’ve ever seen was Chinese. He was being wheeled around in a barrow as he was too overweight to walk. Almost ever day, I walk past one of the local hospitals with its large sign pointing to the weight control clinic.

I know many people here who are overweight. Not critically, but they certainly wouldn't be described as slim. And I know slim (usually women) friends who fret about their weight obsessively as everywhere else.

 

There is a general perception that this rise in weight is due to the introduction of American fast food as introduced by the likes of KFC and McDonald's, but I'm not so sure it's just that. While I've no doubt they play their part, many of the overweight people I know have never eaten that type of 'food'.

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