My Swedish Diet

Every time I go to Sweden, I lose weight. I don't even mean to. It just happens. Don't think I avoid food while I'm there. Swedish food is some of the best stuff on Earth. I can't resist all that yummy goodness - breads, seafood, cheeses, pancakes, potatoes, strawberries, fish, meatballs, pizza, candy, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, cake, more candy... I eat it all and in abundance.

Fat and sugar free in Sweden , or so it seems.
Tuukka Ervasti/imagebank.sweden.se

So, what gives? Could it be all that running around and walking I do in Sweden? Possibly. I inevitably gain weight upon my return to Texas. After returning from an extended stay in Stockholm in 2004, I packed on a hefty 25 pounds - in three months. Maybe it's all the driving we do in the States. Or maybe it's all the fried food. Regardless, the US is #9 when it comes to global obesity rates while Sweden is #60 on the list, if you wonder.

This time, I've prepared a little non-scientific experiment for my time abroad. I've been eating (sorta) healthy and have made sure I'm fit with lots of pre-travel exercise. My BMI is a trim 22, smack in the middle of the healthy scale for my height. So, will I gain weight this time? I'm going to try.

How do I propose to blimp up? By eating as many semlor as I can manage. Bet you didn't see that coming. These things are fat bombs, according to Göran Petterson at Chalmers University. He likens them to a health "catastrophe" in a recent Nordstjernan article.

Bombs away! At 550-650 calories each, about six of these would put on an extra pound.
Lola Akinmade Åkerström/imagebank.sweden.se

If I lose weight this time, I will strongly consider writing a book about my Swedish diet: Go to Sweden. Eat copious amounts of fatty, sugary and carb-loaded food. Come back lighter. Would make for a useful tourism tag line: "The Swedish Miracle Diet! Eat everything and get trim. Book your trip now!" I'm booked and ready.