Hacker News Reader

Comment by nicoburns | Hacker News Reader

This seems unsurprising given the drastic differences in typical diet and exercise levels, and the availability of healthcare.

View on HN

Eh, we Brits are no models of good diet and exercise. According to [1] while Americans have the highest obesity rates among major countries, Brits have the third-highest obesity rates.

[1] https://metro.co.uk/2018/03/21/british-people-fat-no-denying...

While that's true, the difference may still be enough to explain the 2-4 year difference in life expectancy that is shown on the chart.

American breakfast cereal is probably a good example of the problem. In the UK, don't you have to buy stuff like Cinnamon Toast Crunch from speciality outlets? I was under the impression much of what passes for breakfast in the US is considered confectionary across the way.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is 30% sugar: https://www.cinnamontoastcrunch.com/products/cinnamon-toast-...

But something like Frosties, a popular cereal in the UK, is 37%: https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/en_GB/products/frosties.html

So although breakfast in general might be an example, that particular cereal doesn't seem too different.

I don't know if it makes much difference, but observe that the British cereal has a red mark for high sugar content on the box. It will be shelved near other cereals with green marks.

The American one has a similar label, except it's not coloured.

My parents bought Frosties as a very rare treat. My American cousins seemed to always have sugary cereals.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com