Many foreigners see the USA as being full of rather hefty people. The reason is that the USA is full of rather hefty people, not to mention some drop-dead gorgeous ones as well! As junk food and lack of exercise begins to grip the rest of the World, it is beginning to follow the same trend, so we've nothing to feel smug about. I am French and think your president is an idiot however.

Hopefully we will all, sooner than later learn better eating and exercise habits than we now have. I do believe there is a decline in smoking secondary to all the knowledge we have discovered in the past several decades inre to its harmful effects and hopefully as our knowledge of obesity and its causes increase we can make progress in this area as well. All societies have problems unique to themselves. Here obesity is one of them and its just another challenge in life IMHO. As for Bush let me say that all countries at one time or another have had leaders to be proud or to be ashamed of. Some even have had leaders who have commited atrocities beyond imagination. I don't like Bush too much either but he is mine. JM2C. Larry.