Why Aren't Japanese People Fat?

BeachIron
BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Alan Aragon posted this on facebook and I think it is worth a read. There is a tendency to want to point to different people's specific diets, or the "what" they are eating, rather than focusing on "how much" they are eating. This article conforms quite well with my own experiences living in Japan for a number of years and I think it is well worth a read.

http://superfitdads.com/why-arent-japanese-people-fat/
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Replies

  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Scurrying off to read it now !
  • RebeccaHite
    RebeccaHite Posts: 187 Member
    There is no fat in there food
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
    Thanks for posting, will have to read it later :)
  • downsizinghoss
    downsizinghoss Posts: 1,035 Member
    That implies it is a choice. I couldn't be Japanese even if I chose to be. Unfair. Now I am stuck being fat.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    There is no fat in there food

    :huh: :laugh:
  • stacetherainbow
    stacetherainbow Posts: 131
    Interesting article - and certainly helps the argument that a calorie is a calorie!
    Not that it excuses ignoring your macros and micros.
    Just something to throw in the face of people who want to know if I'm "going to eat THAT?! I thought you were on a diet??"
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    That implies it is a choice. I couldn't be Japanese even if I chose to be. Unfair. Now I am stuck being fat.


    We're too southern.
  • dcr5452WECHANGED
    dcr5452WECHANGED Posts: 121 Member
    Yeah I read it but it doesnt really have any conclusions. Or did I miss that part ?
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Yeah I read it but it doesnt really have any conclusions. Or did I miss that part ?

    "Eating less is more important than what you eat."
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Booo the page loaded but the images didn't, so I refreshed the page, and now nothing will load at all.

    Started reading and want to continue, though!
  • _AllieCat_
    _AllieCat_ Posts: 515 Member
    That was brilliant!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    It's all about portion size. Those vending machines had what looked like 8 oz cans. I bought a bag of Japanese peanut fish snacks and in the bag was 14 smaller bags, each about 35 calories. And finally, umami is exceptionally satisfying.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    There is no fat in there food

    :huh: :laugh:

    I'm also loling. This is the culture that specifically raises beef to have more fat marbling than American bacon. It is also the culture that prizes o-toro (very fatty tuna) to a high degree. You have been reading to many books on Japan and haven't spent enough time living there. I have eaten A5 beef twice in my life and got sick both times. My Japanese colleagues loved it, they just ate less of that than I would eat of American beef. It's portions.
  • RebeccaHite
    RebeccaHite Posts: 187 Member
    Don't they ride bikes alot and walk everywhere?
  • botafitness
    botafitness Posts: 8 Member
    Very interesting read!! I wonder how the starch king, Dr. John McDougall, would reply to this article?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    There is no fat in there food


    Did you read the article? (even better, have you ever eaten in a real Japanese restaurant? )
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    Bumping to read later
  • RebeccaHite
    RebeccaHite Posts: 187 Member
    :laugh: Hell I don't know??just guessing
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    That implies it is a choice. I couldn't be Japanese even if I chose to be. Unfair. Now I am stuck being fat.


    We're too southern.

    LOL! I'm with Hoss on Southern food, and that's really the point. Eat your fried chicken, peach cobbler, and ribs. Just eat less.
  • Bossit
    Bossit Posts: 118 Member
    Its a cultural thing. Among my friends, Asians are the only people who will greet me hello, and then in the same breath comment on how I'm getting fat. They don't say it to be rude like you'd expect, more that like 'hey you should be careful'.

    *source: I'm half Chinese*
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Finally got the page to work... great article, thanks for sharing!
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
    It's not a mystery, really.

    - They traditionally eat a lot of fish and rice.
    - They don't eat a lot of wheat, bread, or sugar.
    - They have smaller portion sizes.

    There's your answer.

    (Though statistically, with the rise of sugared drinks in the country, the average weight has been rising... just like everywhere else).
  • homerjspartan
    homerjspartan Posts: 1,893 Member
    To try and follow up on this research I Googled "Obese Japanese"...... some very interesting websites. Apparently anyone who is overweight in Japan works in the adult film industry.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
    Godzilla [ɡodʑiɽa] has eaten most of them because they stick out and are slow.

    tumblr_mgqtnf8fYI1rddl6ho1_500.gif

    Edit after actually reading article.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    They eat better and less food than we do
    They exercise more than we do, and use walking/public transportation way more (some companies have mandatory exercise hour in the morning)
    Its shameful on them to be fat and overweight

    All of which Americans do the opposite of.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Don't they ride bikes alot and walk everywhere?

    You are thinking of China. Maybe you should read the article and stop making wild guesses! :laugh:
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    That implies it is a choice. I couldn't be Japanese even if I chose to be. Unfair. Now I am stuck being fat.


    We're too southern.

    LOL! I'm with Hoss on Southern food, and that's really the point. Eat your fried chicken, peach cobbler, and ribs. Just eat less.

    Hoss and I are both from GA, as he just posted on my wall "We fry our sushi" LOL
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    There is no fat in there food

    Fat doesn't make you fat.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    It's not a mystery, really.

    - They traditionally eat a lot of fish and rice.
    - They don't eat a lot of wheat, bread, or sugar.
    - They have smaller portion sizes.

    There's your answer.

    (Though statistically, with the rise of sugared drinks in the country, the average weight has been rising... just like everywhere else).


    I'm going to assume you didn't even read the article.
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