A Healthy Unhealthy American

In terms of health, I was not expecting such a drastic shift in culture between America and Germany. Both countries—western, wealthy, and white—seem like relatively advanced. One would assume that they were both aware of certain health regulations that were actively practiced. However, this is far from the case. One of the most notable differences between German culture and American culture is the views on smoking cigarettes. I know for a fact that smoking in the States is extremely looked down upon by the majority of the country. Here, you can find smokers almost everywhere. This is especially problematic for me, given the state of my lungs, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. But the German culture of smoking is so prominent that it almost reminds me of French smoking.

On the flip side, though, smoking marijuana is almost completely unheard of in Germany. I’ve only smelled it once here and I’m quite certain the people smoking it were American. I know the drug is illegal in both countries, so I’m not quite sure why it is more popular in one country rather than the other. Maybe marijuana is seen in Germany the same way cigarettes are seen in America.

The last noticeable difference in health in Germany is the massive biking culture. In America, while it isn’t rare, the number of bikers in America is MUCH lower than that of bikers in Germany. It seems that bikers can be found almost any and everywhere, and with bike lanes incorporated into entire sidewalks, there is no doubt in my mind that biking is more popular in Germany. I do not know why though. Like most differences between the two countries, it just seems as though a natural rift has made these two entities very different, but very similar at the same time.