One of the first things visitors to America notice is the high number of obese (overweight) people. The US government estimates that about 40 percent of Americans are obese. The obesity rate is higher among women than men. Visitors may think the US has the highest number of fat people. But countries in the South and Central Pacific Ocean, such as Tonga and Cook Islands, have far higher obesity rates than the US. The American diet and lack of exercise are the main reasons for the high obesity rate in the US. Inexpensive, high-calorie, and tasty fast-food with large portions are easily available in the US.
Americans drive everywhere because, unlike Hong Kong, places such as supermarkets and shopping malls are not close to residential areas. The lack of exercise and abundance of unhealthy fast-food make the US lifestyle obesogenic. This means the lifestyle makes people eat more and exercise less. Even though I have lived in the US for many years, the humongous meals in restaurants always make me do a double take. The slang word humongous means very large. To do a double take means to look again in surprise at something or someone. I always take back home half of the humongous meals in US restaurants because I can never finish them.
US restaurants should give customers the option of smaller meals at half the price to encourage people to eat less. Restaurant food in Hong Kong used to be somewhat healthy when I was growing up there. Not anymore, but at least the meal sizes are not humongous. I will soon be in Hong Kong after visiting Taiwan, where restaurant meals are also not humongous.
遊客到訪美國，其中一樣最先留意到的事就是為數眾多的肥胖（obese）人士。美國政府估計，有大約四成的美國人是癡肥的（obese）。女士的肥胖（obesity）比率比男士為高。訪客或會以為美國有最多的肥人，但在南太平洋以及中太平洋的國家，例如湯加和庫克群島，它們的肥胖（obesity）比率比美國的為高。美國人的飲食習慣和缺乏運動，是美國肥胖（obesity）率高企的主要原因。廉價、高卡路里、美味又大分量的快餐在美國很易就買得到。
跟香港不一樣，美國人到哪裏都駕車，因為超市和購物商場這些地方並不鄰近住宅區。缺乏運動及大量攝取不健康的快餐令美國生活模式 obesogenic，意思即是這個生活模式令人們吃得更多，又少做運動。雖然我在美國居住多年，餐廳那些 humongous餐點卻還總會令我不得不多看一眼來確認（do a double take）。俚語 humongous是指巨大無比的；to do a double take是指對某事物或某人感到驚訝，不可置信得要多看一眼。我在美國餐廳買到的巨大（humongous）餐點總是要帶一半回家，因為我從未能一次過吃得完。
美國餐廳理應以半價售賣較細份的餐點，以鼓勵人們吃少些。我在香港長大的時候，餐廳的食物曾經亦算健康，現在已不如從前了，但至少份量上也不算巨大（humongous）。台灣餐廳的餐點也不算巨大（humongous），我到那裏之後很快就會回到香港了。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
