又中又英｜Obese

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.

游客到访美国，其中一样最先留意到的事就是为数众多的肥胖（obese）人士。美国政府估计，有大约四成的美国人是痴肥的（obese）。女士的肥胖（obesity）比率比男士为高。访客或会以为美国有最多的肥人，但在南太平洋以及中太平洋的国家，例如汤加和库克群岛，它们的肥胖（obesity）比率比美国的为高。美国人的饮食习惯和缺乏运动，是美国肥胖（obesity）率高企的主要原因。廉价、高卡路里、美味又大分量的快餐在美国很易就买得到。

跟香港不一样，美国人到哪里都驾车，因为超市和购物商场这些地方并不邻近住宅区。缺乏运动及大量摄取不健康的快餐令美国生活模式 obesogenic，意思即是这个生活模式令人们吃得更多，又少做运动。虽然我在美国居住多年，餐厅那些 humongous餐点却还总会令我不得不多看一眼来确认（do a double take）。俚语 humongous是指巨大无比的；to do a double take是指对某事物或某人感到惊讶，不可置信得要多看一眼。我在美国餐厅买到的巨大（humongous）餐点总是要带一半回家，因为我从未能一次过吃得完。

美国餐厅理应以半价售卖较细份的餐点，以鼓励人们吃少些。我在香港长大的时候，餐厅的食物曾经亦算健康，现在已不如从前了，但至少份量上也不算巨大（humongous）。台湾餐厅的餐点也不算巨大（humongous），我到那里之后很快就会回到香港了。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻