I hate to say it, but here in the US, it seems normal dress like a slob. I'm all for dressing casually and comfortably, but there is such a thing as taking it too far, and seeing people in jeans and sneakers out at a nice restaurant, or wearing sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt out shopping, it's a bit sad. My grandparents' generation would never have dressed like that to go out.
As for obesity, it's destructive and absolutely out of control. I don't think anyone should be shamed for being overweight or treated cruelly, but being obese should not be considered an "acceptable option" or "normal". It isn't; it's completely abnormal to the human organism to carry around 50%+ of it's bodyweight as fat. It's destroying people's health and shortening their lives, it's a public health crisis, and it's been brought about by corporate "food producers" loading up all our "food" with high fructose corn syrup and feeding people massive portions of overprocessed garbage that screws with their insulin levels, keeps them always hungry, and sets them up for type 2 diabetes.
The US needs to remove the farm subsidies on corn that keep the price of HFCS artificially low and insist that schoolchildren be fed healthy meals --- it's a hell of a lot easier to avoid gaining weight in the first palce than it is to try to lose it later. Dieting is not the answer; changing our diets wholesale is.
Just to add: the alternative to "obese" should not be "anorexic". People should be happy to be at their "set point" healthy weight and not made to feel inadequate if they don't have a body like a runway model.
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Originally Posted by Agota  I actually can't say that UK is that obsessed with beauty from my observations. I mean, media is filled with pictures of gorgeous women and tips on how to lose weight as Cool Bee says, but people in real life look rather laid back. When I came to London for the first time, one of the first things I've noticed was that there are a lot more women who are overweight and that women are much more laid back when it comes to clothes. I mean, in my country some girls don't even take trash out without putting their mascara on and some girls go to school in high heels from like 7th grade (..I'm definitely not one of them, though  ) and here in London it's not a big deal to go to Tescos (supermarket) in your pijamas. I've also noticed that overweight women are not as self-conscious, which is a good thing in my opinion. I work in parties now and there are many women who are really overweight, but they're in mini dresses. You almost never see that in my country (usually people are outraged if an overweight women puts on a short top which makes like three centimeters of her belly visible). It seems that women don't care that much about their looks as they do in Eastern Europe 
I have to say that guys in general look way better here style-wise
I know that in UK people in general take care about their looks than in US. I remember I asked American guy what was the first thing he noticed when he came to UK. He said that people there are way less overweight people and that people dress up a lot here in London. The exact opposite of my first impression |