This insightful article clears up a lot of misinformation about Europe. Very truthy. Recommended.
@BorrisTheCat, this pretty much matches up w/your daily experiences, right?
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Too the letter! How did they know 
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That "Europeans are smaller than Americans" business is SO true. OMG!!!
In the US, I pass for being reasonably trim.
In Europe, I was self conscious because my stomach touched my shirt (and any semblance of a 6 pack was well enough covered).
In the US, it's hard to even find many Men's medium clothes in the store (nevermind the truly fit dudes looking for smalls). But, 2XLs are all over--with Carhartt rocking 5XLs in some items!!
I was in a store in Europe and they had a decent number of XS items, loads of Smalls and Mediums, a few Larges--not sure if they had any XLs or not (if so only a couple).
So, my self-conscious feelings lasted--until I arrived in Dallas TX at the airport. And, voila, I could tell I was back in the USA. One of the few folks that wasn't XL+.
lololol
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I get the same reaction when I go to Quebec. I am almost certainly in the top 10% of weight there, but much closer to average in the us.
Oh well. I never wanted to live forever anyway. Lol
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My issue has always been shorts...I wear shorts 99% of the time. I grew up in Hawaii and California and Virginia, so shorts were a core part of my "wardrobe." We were biz casual at my last two companies so I pretty much wore shorts every day. When I go on vacation I continue my "leggy" fashion statement and wear shorts any day I can as long as weather permits.
However, I can not remember seeing ANY Europeans wearing shorts on any trips to England, Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, etc.
What is up w/that!? Is there a law that I've been violating? 
I see people in shorts in the uk a lot. At least in london... On days it is actually warm (so July 1 - July 10). Lol
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Do you not know about the British weather? Or British tourist 
if it's ever warm enough shorts are the 1st thing we get out.
If we are aboard though to where trousers (unless forced to due to dress code) is basically a sin, even if it's raining I wear shorts on holiday because I might only get them out every two years in England
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That's far to much credit I would say 8th-10th of July
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Hmmm...IRRC we were in England in very late March/April (weather was FANTASTIC!) so maybe the Brits were stilll thinking it was winter.
I kept looking for those characteristic pale knobby knees and just didn't see any.
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I spend most of my time there in London or Wales (Pembrokeshire). As the coast of Wales is more of a tourist destination (of sorts) maybe that is why I see more shorts. Dunno.
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