I can't speak for all Europeans, of course. However, some of my best friends live in Belgium, France, Germany, and other countries. These same people have weight issues, and I have never heard any of them say anything negative about obese Americans. Instead, we often discuss the problems that are unique to their own areas and how that relates to their weight.
I lived in England for year, and the lifestyle there was so different from what we are used to here. As Jennifer said, I walked everywhere I went, as everyone did. It wasn't unusual for me to walk 3 to 5 miles, round trip, just to buy a bag full of food that I could carry home. I walked to small grocery stores several times a week, buying small packages of food, little tiny cartons of milk, etc. Everything is purchased in smaller quantities there, unlike the gallons and tubs we have here. The first time I went to a supermarket there, I bought a buggy full and called a taxi to help me get it home. When a friend noticed how full my cupboards were, he both gasped and laughed! I tried to explain our habit of "stocking up" to him. However, his only real comment was that he thought having so much food in the house at once would leave one open to the temptation to overeat. He said that growing up, his entire family never had as much food in the cupboards at one time as I had just for myself. Now keep in mind that this was JUST a small narrow refrigerator (half the size of a standard American fridge) and only one kitchen cabinet was used for food.
I eventually changed my shopping habits and bought just what I needed for 2 or 3 days max, then walked to the store for more.
When I returned to America, I expected to keep up the same habits. However, I soon found myself driving to far away stores, loading up the buggy again, and of course never walking further than my car.
Anyway, lifestyles will be different no matter where you go. It's only natural to look at someone else's lifestyle and consider your own as better. That's human nature, and natural for any culture.
The only times I have ever encountered negative attitudes regarding my weight have been here, by thin Americans that have no concept of what causes -and solves- weight issues. People that think all you need to do is grab a Slim fast shake and all your problems are over. This stems from our own American media, in my opinion, that feed on catchy headlines, put too much emphasis on stick thin models and celebrities, and constantly flash commercials for miracle (i.e. scam) diet products that the thin people assume work because they don't have to use them, so they wonder why we don't.
(c'mon, we all think it, don't we?)
