As Gelato Consumption Rises, Waistlines Fall

The OCED (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; score one for British spelling) released its 2009 Society at a Glance OCED Social Indicators in late April. Linked here are the key findings for Italy: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/28/6/42672218.pdf. Fun facts and figures abound, but Trofie Wife’s favorite relates to obesity rates. Italy ranks fifth in lowest obesity rates amongst industrialized states, losing out to only Korea (rice), Japan (more rice), Switzerland (gooey raclette, but they strip you of your citizenship if you don't go hiking every Sunday), and Norway (lox).

Guess who comes in dead last, 30/30 with 34.3 percent of the adult population obese? Yup, America—the red, white, and blob. Clearly, it’s time to take some advice from the Italians.

In fact, gelato does have a lot less fat and other icky by-products as compared to the average American ice cream. You can walk up and down the streets of Arenzano all afternoon and see tons of people with excellent physiques downing their daily dose—you’d never see folks of a similar build eating so much ice cream in the States (maybe a Tasti D-Lite every now and again). Una coppa gelato ogni giorno helps keep the weight off (it’s worked thus far in Trofie Wife's case! And well, Martello, he never gets out of the featherweight class), especially when you have to hike up and down hills to procure some.

So listen up fellow americani: swap the Atkins for some gelato e pasta and maybe spend a little less time in the office while you’re at it.

Baci e gelato (indeed!),

Martello e Trofie Wife