Is America fattening up Australia?

Whilst gallivanting the globe the past week, flying over the Pacific Ocean to find myself in Sydney and Perth Australia, I have made a point to remain very aware of the “healthiness” of different cultures and geographical regions. Bluntly: I’ve been judging how people eat and live across the world. But before you judge me right back, you should probably read what I’ve found.

While I did start my journey to Perth, Australia on a dangerously depressing and subjective note by watching a horribly eye-opening documentary on global obesity, I have seen both sides of health here in Australia.

To be honest, I am disgusted by what the American food industry has done to the rest of the world. When you ask Australians about their obesity rate, they will tell you it is just as high, if not higher than the U.S. Whilst local cuisines such as meat pies, sausage rolls from local, high-quality bakeries, and fresh markets full of locally-sourced vegetables and fruits are reminiscent of the country’s historical health habits, the country is still tainted by the Golden Arches of McDonald’s, and in fact has their own Aussie take on Burger King – “Hungry Jack’s” – along with the more typical KFC, 7/11, Subway, and other global fast-food chains. To come to such a remote and beautiful nation and to see it infiltrated by the rather revolting habits of the American food industry makes me a little queasy. Diabetes and heart disease has skyrocketed in the land down under and I can’t help but draw a line between those numbers and the number of American food products that have finagled their way into Australian markets. It’s not the sole cause, but it’s a contributing factor.

On the flip side, I am absolutely enamored by the environment and culture of fitness, sport and physical activity that remains deeply embedded in this nation’s way of life. In Sydney, one of the most popular things to do, both as a local and a tourist, is to do the “coastal walk” along the dramatic coastline of Sydney’s abundant beaches and bays. Regardless of the day of the week, this place is packed with people running, walking, and jogging both to burn some calories and to take in the natural beauty of Australia as they sweat it out. And it made me ever happier that as I traveled across Australia to Perth, I found the same thing!

Perth’s King’s Park is a stunningly situated park that sits atop downtown Perth and its adjacent lakes and rivers. It is always bustling with fitness-minded people either running the locally-known “Jacob’s Ladder” stairs or having their butts kicked in a bootcamp in the grass for a killer workout. Needless to say, this American personal trainer was pleased.

So what is the consensus?

To start, let’s consider that America is helping to make Australian’s diet fat, full of processed crap which really should not be referred to as food; yet fortunately, Australia is staying true to itself and still living a healthy lifestyle of fitness, exercise and sports. After all, it’s always been an extremely athletic nation. It is so far engrained in their outdoor way of life, it would be hard to not take a swim on Bondi Beach or go for a walk or run along the infamous coastal walk. Just think about the stereotype us Americans have in our minds about Australians as unfairly attractive, muscular, athletic, tan and toned people. They’ve earned it.

My moral of the story is this: Travel globally, eat locally, exercise always. While there may be some negative influence from our country on the rest of the world, other cultures will also stay true to their roots. For Australia that means a lifestyle filled with fitness, health, and hotties on surfboards. Which will always be perfectly fine with me.

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