Americans not physically ready for this?

I've heard lots of people talking about how H5N1 may hit developing and "poorer" countries harder then first-world countries. Then I thought about something - is it possible that America could get hit hard as well because of poor diets (overprocessed food, etc) and generally below-par health?

Originally posted by Toxic Fox
is it possible that America could get hit hard as well because of poor diets (overprocessed food, etc) and generally below-par health?

I would say so. Which is why I've been more vigilant when food shopping, and I'm starting to actually cook things rather than make something out of a box. Mostly I'm doing this for my son. My little boy, for example, gets orange juice with vitamins A-E and calcium added, and he has juice with no sugar or any other crap added, and that's high in vitamin C--and it also has calcium added in. I seldom if ever give him milk because of all the hormones, etc., that's in it.

He seems to be fine. He's tall for his age.

I' ve thought about this, and think you could have a valid point. We've lived in a society that has used antibiotics in everything, too, and by that we've helped usher in drug resistant strains of lots of things (although H5N1 is a virus and antibiotics cannot help if you get it)...but I think it's important to be aware of the dangers of this beyond just our being 'unfit' in general.

The overuse of antibiotics, the "trickle down" effect if you will, is a serious concern.

I think that evolution has the upper hand when it comes to scientists versus bugs that are evolving to become drug and antibiotic-resistant. (Antibiotics are worthless against viruses, anyways.)