COMPARISON OF ECOLOGICAL FACTORS

1. DIET
Europe: It is made up of 50 countries, while the European Union is made
up of 28 member states. When it comes to diet, Europe is incredibly diverse
without a common culture or diet. Still, some generalizations can be made about
either, and the European diet has actually become more homogenous over the
past few decades. The Mediterranean diet refers to the common dietary
patterns among the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Italy,
Spain, France) emphasizes a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and spices. The main type of fat is olive oil, an
important mono saturated fat source. Poultry and dairy products like cheese and
yogurt are consumed in moderate amounts, almost daily, while fish and seafood
are eaten about twice a week. Small amounts of red meat are occasionally
eaten. Their diet contains very little saturated and trans fats and large quantities
of omega-3s (with salt not heavily used as seasoning). Therefore, their risks for
heart disease are minimal.

USA: There are more obese people in America today than ever before (
by Jody Braverma). USA ranks No. 1 for obesity in the world, with 30.6% of
population considered obese according to the data website NationMaster. They
have little emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, the average
American diet tends to rely heavily on processed foods, refined carbohydrates,
fried or fast foods, red meats, sugars and high-fat dairy products- all of which
contained saturated or trans fats and sodium. Common ingredient includes high
fructose corn syrup, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, white sugar, bleached,
enriched flours, food dyes, artificial flavors, and many other chemical additives.
This is one of the reasons this diet this diet has been deemed unhealthy by
health communities. Health problems including: Obesity, nutrient deficiencies,
diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain
cancers, according to the Diets in Review website. Although lack of exercise
plays a role, the growing obesity epidemic in US has a lot to do with what
Americans eat. Two of the top five sources of calories in the American diet are
sweets (including cakes, pastries, cookies, and pies), and soda- both do not offer
any nutritional value. They eat more often in convenience store- where foods
tend to be high in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. According to the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, as Americans started eating more foods
away from home, their calorie intake increased, along with their waistlines. Also,
both Meat and Poultry are a major source of saturated fat in the American diet-
which raises blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

MIDDLE EAST: Cereals constitute the basis of the Middle Eastern diet.
Wheat and rice are the major and preferred sources of staple foods. Butter and
clarifies butter are the preferred medium of cooking. Lamb has always been the
favored meats of the Middle East. Pork is prohibited in both Islam and Judaism,
and as such is rarely eaten in the region.

ASIA: In many parts of Asia, rice is a staple food, and is mostly served
steamed or as a porridge known as congee. China is the worlds largest producer
and consumer of rice. Other important crops are wheat, soy beans, peanuts,
sugarcane, cotton, silk, tea and coconuts.

2. CULTURE
EUROPE: Europe still has a class of noble people and hundreds of
thousands of castle reminding people on a nearly daily basis of the time where
nobility once ruled over everything. Emphasis of respect is put on cultures and
languages. Schools and Universities are free in most European countries
(granted to them). Christianity is the main religion of the continent. There are 3
main types of churches in Europe, namely Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern
Orthodox churches. Circumcision is almost unheard in Europe.

USA: They usually only speak English because they do not need more in
their huge country. They grant greater freedoms when it comes to gun
possession, as well as driving a car from a relatively young age. Americans put
much more emphasis on patriotism than Europeans. Being a patriot is a way of
life in the USA. Church going is very popular in the US, where it is seen as an
indispensable way of socializing. God is often mentioned by American
politicians, but almost never in Europe.

MIDDLE EAST: The Arabic cultural traditions are closely associated with
Islam. A majority of the Arabs are Muslims. However, there are considerable
number of Jews and Christians in the Gulf countries. Islam in its many forms is
by far the largest religion in the Middles east, but other faiths that originated
there, such as Judaism and Christianity, are also well represented. Several great
ancient civilizations were formed in the middle east including Ancient Egypt, the
Persian empire, and the Babylonian Empire.

ASIA: A wide variety of societies, religions and ethnicities shape the
culture of Asia. Major religions are Hinduism (India), Theravada Buddhism (Thai,
Sri Lanka, and Myanmar etc), Tibetan Buddhism (China and Mongolia), East
asian Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, and Catholicism (Phil, Viet, and
East timor). The most spectacular industrialization has occurred in Japan and the
Four little Dragons- Taiwan, Korea, SG, HK.

3. Environmental Condition
EUROPE: Is known for its diversity even when it comes to the climate.
Central and eastern region of the continent is known for its continental climate,
where extremes in climate can be observed. In summers its warm to hot,
whereas in winter the region gets cold. May of the worlds largest and most
industrialized countries are in Europe. Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam-
they tend to have lots of factories, lots of traffic, and produce a lot of Air pollution.

USA: Air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the
US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels;
water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; In northern
Alaska, tundra and arctic conditions predominate, and the temperature has fallen
as low as 80 F (62.2 C). On the other end of the spectrum, Death Valley,
California once reached 134 F (56.7 C), the second-highest temperature ever
recorded on Earth.

MIDDLE EAST: It is well known that the Middle East is a water scarce
region. The Middle East has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, which
produces most of the area's wealth. Even so, the region's climate and
environment make living harsh. The Middle East requires water resources and
suitable land for agriculture. Much of the land that is available for producing food
is destroyed by increasing desertification.


ASIA: Asias huge size is one of the reasons why it has regions of a wide
variety of climates; some of the coldest, hottest, wettest and some of the driest
places on earth. These varied climates include the bitter cold of the polar north;
the hot, dry desert environment of the center and southwest; and the hot, humid
conditions of the tropical south. In China, one of the largest Asian countries,
pollution has taken a toll on their society. China's huge industrial power has
scarred it's environment. Currently pollution that causes cancer is the leading
cause of death in China. Air pollution alone is also a cause of hundreds of
thousands of deaths, and nearly 500 million people lack clean drinking water.

4. HABITS
EUROPE: The most popular sports in all Europe is Football (soccer),
probably followed by Tennis, cycling and Formula 1.

USA: Soccer, and F1 are far away in the popularity ranking. It is baseball,
ice hockey, and American football that attract the crowds and make money.
Schools, cities, and other organizations sponsor team sports for the young, and
professional sports are an important part of the culture. In general, most
Americans spend a large amount of their leisure time socializing or watching
television. Other leisure activities include going to the cinema or concerts,
picnicking, and travelling. Many Americans volunteer for a wide range of causes,
from raising funds to help those who are less fortunate to tutoring students or
leading Scout troops and youth sports. Even city dwellers enjoy spending time in
the "great outdoors", camping, hiking, or hunting.

MIDDLE EAST: Muslim practice fasting during Ramadan and several
feasts like Id al-Adha-feast of sacrifice. The end of Ramadan is marked by a
festival, Idal-Fitr, during which a great quantity and variety of sweets and
pastries are consumed.

ASIA: One of the most important Asian uses of leisure is simply to be with
and/or other group to which the individual belongs. This stems directly from the
cultural importance placed on the family and the group, and leisure time is spent
in this purpose. Habits includes: biking, team sports like basketball, swimming,
etc. The use of social networking website has become so extensive in the
Philippines that the country has been tagged as "The Social Networking Capital
of the World," and has also become part of Filipino cyberculture. With over 7.9
million Filipinos using the Internet, 6.9 million of them visit a social networking
site at least once a month;
Sources:
http://countrystudies.us/russia/25.htm
EUROPEAN CULTURE AND DIET By Joe Smyser
HOW CULTURE AFFECTS DIET By Linda H. Lamb
THE TYPICAL AMERICAN DIET By Jill Corleone
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