The Third World Diet Plan

That`s right folks. You can do it too. Lose hundreds of pounds without ever consciously thinking about what you`re doing. Eat healthier, exercise more, and watch the pounds melt off all for a fraction of the cost of those expensive weight loss programs. All you have to do is buy a plane ticket right now and get your fat butt down to a third world country. The more intestinal parasites, the better. I personally guarantee that you will lose 5 pounds in the first week and receive your very own, complimentary colon cleanse. It`s only gets better from there. You will be eating all natural, organic foods bought only minutes from your doorstep. You will be walking miles everyday to get to the places that you need to go. The best part is all the ridicule and pressure you will receive for being the only fat person in the entire country.

All right, all joking aside. There really aren`t that many fat people down here. I made an observation when I left the US. I was in the Atlanta airport, riding up the escalator and I just looked around. I didn`t take a count or anything, but pretty much everyone I saw was at the very least overweight. Most people had large bellies overhanging their pants. I`m not saying I`m better, and I probably just fit in with the crowd, but I made the same observation when I got to a crowded area in Lima, and while there were a few overweight folks, the vast majority were thin and healthy. It was an amazing observation.

So what makes Peruvians less obese than Americans. The first and most important factor seems to be food. The major meal here is lunch and people eat pretty healthy. You go to a local market where most of the people get their food and you only see vegetables, fruits, and meats. You don`t see anything like the supermarkets we have in the States. There aren`t the gigantic, calorie laden, frozen foods, cereals, breads, dairy products, or any of the other processed crap that Americans consume on a regular basis. The only bread you can buy is these little small pieces of "pan", and dairy products are almost non-existent because of the general lack of refrigeration. It`s got kind of a beautiful kind of symmetry. Peruvians are too poor to afford the technology that we take for granted, but as a consequence, they are healthier.

The second factor also relates to the poverty. There are a lot of cars in Peru, but most of them aren`t owned by individual Peruvians. The majority of the vehicles you see are taxis, busses, and bicycles. People are forced to walk some distance to get to the bus stop, combi stop, or just to work. They also have to pay everytime they ride one of these vehicles. This lends even more incentive to just walk. Also, there is a general lack of television around here. Most people have TV`s but can`t afford cable, hence there is not much on. This forces them to go out and do something active to have fun. There are always soccer games in the streets and fields around town, and on the weekends, it`s diffcult to find a field to play anything on because they are all taken. Peruvians love soccer, volleyball, handball, and basketball. Even the poorest family here has some kind of ball to play a game with. It`s a necessity. All this means that Peruvians burn more calories and less gasoline.

So America, how do we fix our epidemic of obesity (and have no doubt that we have an epidemic on our hands...just look around). The first thing is to fix the food. Try only buying vegetables, meat, and fruit and the smallest amount of bread that you can in the grocery store. Learn how to cook with these ingredients, and only buy dairy when a recipe requires it. I know, I`m going to have trouble giving up milk and cheese. I LOVE these things, but I`m only going to buy the smallest amount possible.
Next, try to use your car as little as possible. Even better, get rid of your car and use the money you will save on gas, insurance, and payments to ride public transportaion. Doing these two things, I guarantee you`re BMI will drop along with your monthly bills. Save money, and lose weight, what could be better. It`s time to change before we become a bunch of walking whales.