KZBlog

One of the pernicious stereotypes about Americans in Kazakhstan is that we are all fat. Now I know there are obesity studies out there that show that being overweight is a problem in the US. I don’t deny that. However, I do wonder how many other countries have done similar studies. In other words, I haven’t seen any research on obesity in Kazakhstan, so I’m not sure what the comparison would be.

In any case, both the US and Kazakhstan have aspects of their eating habits that are horribly unhealthy.

For Kazakhstan, it’s the love of fat. It’s almost impossible to buy meat without chunks of fat attached. And if you are ever a guest of honor at a big Kazakh dinner, don’t be surprised to be served a giant slab of fat without any meat (and to be fair, most people understand if I take a polite bite and then profusely thank them while telling them I don’t really eat fat.)

Salt is another thing you will find overused in Kazakhstan. People put it on everything, especially any kind of salad, and they do it while they are cooking so you don’t have a chance to keep your own food unsalted. We once saw a cooking show (which I believe was from Russia) where a woman was showing how to fry up mushrooms. She said that she only put a little bit of salt in, although other people liked to salt it more. She then proceeded to put around 3 tablespoons of salt into the frying pan. To me, a little salt is a pinch.

Finally, while many Kazakhs are aware of the dangers of too much sugar (they call it white death, which in the US means salt), they do like their sweets. This might be the Russian influence more than traditional Kazakh cooking but many products that you wouldn’t expect are quite sweet, including crackers and some bread rolls (which may also be filled with frosting). Sweets aren’t usually pushed on you, but the table will be full of them so temptation is always near.

Enough Kazakhstan-bashing. Time for US bashing.

American food is full of fat as well, but it’s usually added on in the form of bacon or cheese. I am amazed when I go home how many restaurants serve food with bacon or cheese or both. And of course burgers and steaks and fries are often grilled in fat.

As is widely known in Kazakhstan, a lot of fast food is full of chemicals and preservatives that aren’t going to do much for your health. And while I do miss the convenience of frozen foods and prepared meals, a lot of those are also filled with preservatives and sweeteners and salt, although you can usually find more natural variants if you search for them.

While I doubt either population needs to go on oxyelite pro Side effects of eating too much fat, salt, sugar or chemicals are universal and both countries have health hazards to their diets.