China vs West 2

Cultural Difference #2: You can tell someone he/she is fat –

In Western countries the only person who might dare to tell you that you are fat, is your personal doctor. Then he would probably beat around the bush, toss around hints and use words like “overweight,” “heavy," or “stout.” In China, there is no such inhibition about talking about people's weight. It is common for Chinese to go up to foreigners and say point blank, “You are fat.” While talking with a Chinese friend about this, she told me that actually I was wrong and Chinese will normally say, “You are SO fat.” There are several reasons why people will say this. Firstly, there aren't many fat people in China. It is almost a curiosity to see someone fat. Secondly, there are much fewer private issues. Your business is everybody's business. This comes from a much more group oriented mindset than the individualism that pervades the West. Thirdly, people just feel more free to speak exactly what is on their mind. Try feeding Western desserts to Asians and you will invariably hear “too sweet, too sweet!” Some Chinese think that all Westerners are fat. One time I was playing basketball and one guy said, “Why are you and your brother so skinny? I thought all people from America were fat.” I would estimate that about 200 people here have told me I am “too skinny” so I guess it goes both ways. Perhaps if more people in America commented on other people's weight, then it might help remind people to try to stay more fit.