Russia vs. USA: Smoking and Obesity
Submitted by CARPE DIEM
Two big, very noticeable differences between Russia and the USA:
1. Everybody here in Moscow smokes. Well, almost everybody.
2. Nobody here in Moscow is overweight. Well, almost nobody. Our MBA group sat in the Food Court in a popular mall near Red Square, drinking $2 beers, and watched Russians walk by for about 45 minutes looking for somebody who could be considered either “overweight” or “obese.” In that time, we only saw a few Russians, out of many hundreds who walked by, who would be considered overweight, and not a single obese person. Even after being in Moscow for 4 days, I don’t think we’ve seen a single obese Russian, and very, very few overweight Russians. Maybe that’s because they all smoke?
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