If you Aren't American, Read This

        Most foreigners have a very specific and usually flawed outlook on America. While it isn’t even close to perfect, America gets too much hate from its international counterparts for reasons that usually fail to paint a complete picture of the country. So, it's time to clear up some misconceptions about America. 

Obesity: The most popular misconception is that America is the land of the free and the home of the obese. While it is true that obesity is an issue in America, the country doesn't even rank in the top 10 most obese countries in the world. America does have a 36% obesity rate but other countries have high rates of obesity as well. For example, the UK sits at around 25%. 

Climate: The next misconception is of the American climate. A lot of people believe America as a country collectively shares the same type of weather but that cannot be further from the truth. A winter day in North Dakota can reach 0 degrees Fahrenheit but in Florida, that same day can be 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Some parts of America have never seen snow and others haven’t had a day over 100 degrees in years. 

Geography: The final misconception of Americans is that they do not know their geography. Many viral videos are posted of Americans not being able to recognize Canada or thinking that the north pole is a country. Sure, America is not the best at geography but many other developed nations lack this ability as well. A survey showed that 69% of young adults in the UK and 65% of young adults in France could not locate the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, ¼ of the young adults worldwide could not locate Israel on a map, proving that this geography issue is a global one. 

Sources: 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/geography-survey-illiteracy

https://data.worldobesity.org/rankings/