This is Paris.

This is Vienna.

And this is Salt Lake City.

What’s the difference?

European cities are made for walking. Often times, a sizable percentage of downtown is pedestrian only, or at least during peak hours. Sidewalks are very wide, or when the streets are narrow, at least as wide as the road, which is often barely adequate for oversized cars and delivery trucks. Also, cities tend to be compact, so you can conduct most of your business within a few kilometers, often walking everywhere.

While American cities are made for driving. In the picture you can see a couple persons standing there -they might be taking a break from work, or waiting for someone, but they aren’t walking. Cities are sprawling, and services are often simply too far to walk. And public transportation (which at least requires you to walk to the next train or bus stop) is inefficient and often times missing altogether.

And no matter what the ridiculous ads touting weight loss methods say, the simple truth of weight loss is, if you consume less calories than what you intake you gain weight. Full period.

While the use of GMO Frankenfoods probably plays a role as others have pointed, they are pretty extended in Europe as well so I don’t think they are the main culprit. But lack of exercise is.