Things you would never see in Europe...

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Ian Gills

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In America, able-bodied Americans too lazy to walk can be seen riding the electric handicapped shopping carts around supermarkets.

Brave Europeans would have something to say about that if that happened in Europe.
 

Terry

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Ian,
I see that too, but you don't always know the full story either.
I drove my younger brother to his doctors appointment for his foot; they still haven't decided whether they will leave it as it is with one small toe removed, (last month they removed the infected bone and just left the skin) or if they will cut the foot off below the knee. I took him to Walmart afterwards for shopping before bringing him back to his full time care facility on the foot problem, and yes this able bodied looking man was riding a cart. He had been told to keep weight off the foot, or they may need to cut it off.

He's now out of there and back home. So far, so good.

I haven't needed a cart yet, but I know when I was recovering from my surgeries, it was all I could do to put my things on the belt and reload them. I think I looked okay, I mean I was wearing a jogging outfit, but that was just because putting on real pants with a belt was too hard.

I think you need to let that one slide. You may not have all of the details.

I tend to park farther out and walk more when I do my shopping. I figure there's going to be somone that needs that spot that is near more then me.
 
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BobL43

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Ian,
I see that too, but you don't always know the full story either.
I drove my younger brother to his doctors appointment for his foot; they still haven't decided whether they will leave it as it is with one small toe removed, (last month they removed the infected bone and just left the skin) or if they will cut the foot off below the knee. I took him to Walmart afterwards for shopping before bringing him back to his full time care facility on the foot problem, and yes this able bodied looking man was riding a cart. He had been told to keep weight off the foot, or they may need to cut it off.

He's now out of there and back home. So far, so good.

I haven't needed a cart yet, but I know when I was recovering from my surgeries, it was all I could do to put my things on the belt and reload them. I think I looked okay, I mean I was wearing a jogging outfit, but that was just because putting on real pants with a belt was too hard.

I think you need to let that one slide. You may not have all of the details.

I tend to park farther out and walk more when I do my shopping. I figure there's going to be somone that needs that spot that is near more then me.
off to the gallows with 'im, I say.
 

Terry

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What is also bad is driving my 94 year old mother somewhere. She always wants to park in a handicap space, and I always want to park somewhere else. There's nothing worse then going back out to the car for something when you don't have old and slow grandma with you. I try to make her walk anyway, I figure it's good for her.

seahawk_terry_1629.jpg
 
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Zl700

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Half of Europe's adults overweight or obese: report

Tue, Dec 7 2010
By Kate Kelland
LONDON | Tue Dec 7, 2010 7:33am EST
(Reuters) - More than half of adults in European Union are overweight or obese, piling pressure onto their own health, their nations' health systems and the wider economy, the OECD and the EU Commission said on Tuesday.

In a report on health in the 27-member bloc, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Brussels-based Commission said the rate of obesity has more than doubled over the past 20 years in most member states.

It also found that one in seven EU children is overweight or obese, and said the figures are set to rise even further.

"This has considerable implications for costs of healthcare," it said, citing a recent study on England which forecast that total costs linked to overweight and obesity could increase by as much as 70 percent between 2007 and 2015.

"Children who are obese or overweight are more likely to suffer from poor health later in life, with a greater risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, arthritis, asthma, a reduced quality of life and even premature death," the "Health at a Glance: Europe 2010" report said.

Overweight people have a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 30 and obese people have a BMI of 30 or more, according to the World Health Organization. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

Over half the EU adult population, or 50.1 percent is now overweight or obese.

Looking at health spending, the report found that this had risen in all EU member states in the past decade, often increasing at a faster rate than economic growth. In 2008, EU states spent on average 8.3 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on health, up from 7.3 percent in 1998.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

Meanwhile, better living conditions and medical progress have allowed life expectancy at birth in the EU to increase by 6 years between 1980 to 2007, from an average of 72 years in 1980 to 78 years in 2007.

"Improvements in living and working conditions and in some health-related behaviors have contributed greatly to these longevity gains, but progress in medical care also deserves much credit," the report said.

The report described a wide range of obesity rates across the EU, from less than 10 percent in Romania and Italy to more than 20 percent in the UK, Ireland and Malta. On average, just over 15 percent of the EU adult population is obese.

Commenting on the report, Europe's Commissioner for health and consumer policy John Dalli said it would serve as a useful tool for governments to see where the major problems are.

"In order to reverse the growing trend in obesity and other health problems in the EU we need reliable and up-to-date data to underpin the action we take," he said in a statement.

The report found that several factors -- including lower rates of smoking and less heavy drinking in some countries -- had led to a decline in deaths from heart disease, it is still the biggest cause of death in the EU, accounting for 40 percent of all deaths in Europe in 2008.

The second leading cause of death in the EU is cancer, which accounted for 26 percent of deaths in 2008. The highest number of cancer deaths was reported in Denmark, followed by Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics and Slovenia. The lowest numbers of cancer deaths were in Cyprus, Finland and Sweden.
 

Cookie

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Ah, Ian, never judge a book by its cover.

For instance, I look perfectly sane, but... I even wouldn't place money on it. ;)
 

Ballvalve

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The second leading cause of death in the EU is cancer, which accounted for 26 percent of deaths in 2008. The highest number of cancer deaths was reported in Denmark, followed by Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics and Slovenia. The lowest numbers of cancer deaths were in Cyprus, Finland and Sweden

The Slavs love salty hard sausage and the Finns and Swedes eat tons of herring.

Except for the new mega marts, wont find any electric carts in Europe because they dont fit in the aisles.
 

Ian Gills

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Do you like salty hard sausage as well Ballvalve given your heritage?

I imagine there is a lot of sausage in America that is to your fancy.

I'm rather partial myself to some double smoked.
 

BobL43

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I may be wrong but more than skinny isles, if they even care, European stores are probably too poor to offer their customers the use of handicapped carts.

I remember the first time I hosted two software engineers from my company's home office in Switzerland on their visit here, I took them into a big US shopping mall for their first time. As they walked into the front entrance of the mall, it was funny to actually see their jaws drop open in awe.
It was not like I took them to the Mall of America in Minneapolis or the really big mall in Canada either:D
 

Ian Gills

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Shops in America are much like shops in Europe. The only real difference is you pay for your parking in Europe. Oh, and you can buy guns and bullets at supermarkets in America.

The grocery chains in America are also not as good as those in Europe. The high-end stuff is great but a Walmart in Europe sells nicer food that a Walmart in America.

Some Walmarts in America don't even sell food.

Europeans, you see, believe in freedom. So if a Walmart wants to sell food it can.

Not so in America. Smaller supermarkets in some parts of the country have successfully lobbied to prevent Walmart from selling produce and dairy.

Americans like to think they are free. But, really they are not.

The Cold War was a conflict between two Nations that had more in common than they thought.
 
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Ballvalve

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The cold war was engineered by the defense industry. Russia was a pack of drunks without any will to invade Europe.

I'm sending you a photo of some REAL sausage soon. Great while shooting cans at a Nevada ghost town.
 

Ian Gills

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I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing a picture of Ballvalve's sausage.

The best sausage I have seen so far was an Amish one.

It was just left there hanging.
 

Ballvalve

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I am working on the sausage series. Soon to come. Some I have hung in the wine cellar for a year, with amazing results.
 

Ballvalve

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First grow a pig, cut it up, cure the meat and stuff and hang.

pig.jpgIMG_1401.jpgindex_001_001 (1).jpg

Those are not my best efforts, I'll add in a few more if this machine cooperates
 
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Ballvalve

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