Every day, I eat American foods such as fried chicken, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza, Chinese food, tacos, and the list goes on. They all taste very good. It does not matter if I go to different restaurants such as Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Hardee’s, etc. It also does not matter if I buy ingredients from the grocery store and use them for making recipe(s). Consequently, I always gain or keep the same weight. Seemingly, the same result happens every time I eat fruits, vegetables, or even drink water as well. Why is that? Why are many Americans (over 67%) including me are constantly overweight or obese? Could it be that we are eating fruits, vegetables, meats and everything else that contain chemicals/pesticides? Are American food companies trying to kill or harm us consumers? Does these companies truly want us to become fat/fatter, have diabetes, or have other health problems?

I have a stomach belly that would not shrink regardless of what I eat or drink. I remember that my belly somehow went down due to probably eating less food or more natural food (without pesticides or other chemicals) during my trip in Santiago, Dominican Republic last year. I wish that can happen again. But, I may have to eat less American food and eat foreign food more often. Maybe I can get a smaller stomach again. I want to improve my health. I want to be physically active/fit as most of the foreigners in other continents (South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, etc.) are. They are so skinny. In addition, they do not have all these physical and mental health problems like we do in the States. How do they keep their weight down? Also, how do they stay emotionally/mentally sane? Do you want to be as thin and healthy as a foreigner is? If so, here are my 7 solutions for your obesity or health problems:

• Cook and eat more homemade food and eat less food already cooked from restaurant(s).
• Drink plenty of water (perhaps 8 ounces per day).
• Go to a local organic store or farmer’s market and buy natural/organic products.
• Eat more fruits and veggies but eat less sweets (cookies, cake, ice cream) and red meats (steak and hamburger).
• Visit a nearby international market or restaurant that serves exotic foods.
• Join a local gym and exercise regularly or a few times per week.
• Take a long walk at the park or beach.

We choose what we eat. But, we cannot choose what physically happens to us as a result. I am not only tired of eating pesticidal American food that causes me to gain weight but also I am tired of eating the same food repeatedly. I wish that there were more local stores/restaurants that would serve Thai, Greek, Jamaican, Colombian, etc. food. Then, we can have more variety of food to choose. We also can probably lose weight or have less health problems consequently. If we are still obese/overweight or gain weight again, then we should consider going overseas, investigating foreigners, and trying to be as thin as they are. I would love to lose this belly I have so that I can feel better about myself physically and emotionally. Do you feel the same way?