Espi said:
America is the epicenter of vanity and materialism...
Not even close. By a long shot.
Ever stepped foot in Tokyo? How about countless places in Europe?
Let's just put it this way, you go to the Balkans, and in countries like Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia, there's a term used by women. They're looking for a "sponsor."
And what is a sponser? Well, just like it sounds. A sponsor is a man who pays for her Prada, for her Dolce, for her Coach, for her Gucci. For her makeup. For her dinners. In turn, he gets a pretty spicy piece of arm candy. But she'll be gone the day her sponsorship is cut off. And she may seek multiple sponsors, especially if she can get away with it....
I've never seen people so obsessed with freakin' name brands as I have in Europe. You see people blowing WAAAAY more money than they have Izod, or even a t-shirt that says Prada.
It may be cliche to say America is the mecha of materialism, but it isn't true. You see Americans wearing far more t-shirts and flip-flops, for instance. Waaay more casual.
But to answer your question, it's far more common to see men workout in the US than anywhere in Europe. I was in Rome not too long ago, and I had 50 pounds on most of those guys--and yes, I have visible abs, as well.
It's just not as common. The tall, thin prettyboy is far more common. Especially in Italy. And then again, we do have the fat fratboy down pretty well in the US, too.... :crackup: