Why Americans are overweight vs the Japanese

VBnotbitter

Well every nation has generalisations and stereotypes about people of other nations. What are you first thoughts about Japan? I thought it was fairly positive and made you guys sound friendly and likeable.

Bugger all to do with why one nation is more overweight than another though.

neanderthin

The most amount of centenarians(living over 100) per capita are also found in Okinawa Japan. Low amounts of animal consumption, high amounts of fish / seafood) (omega 3) and eating till they are only 80% full could be contributors to their long age and general good health. Many studies on how the people of this Island think differently and their elders are respected and consulted for their knowledge. In North American society once someone reaches a certain age it is almost as though we want them to be closeted away so we are not reminder of our mortality.

Fish and seafood are animals. Okinawans eat a lot of pork.

And have traditionally used pork fat as their choice to cook with.

steeezo72

In Japan, each person eating gets as many individual dishes as needed for the meal. Sometimes more than 10 dishes per person are used. In America, there is a method where a large bowl or dish is placed in the middle of the table, and you take as much as you like from there, and put it on a big dish said to be a "dinner plate."

In Japan, meals at home are for eating, because your stomach is vacant. At an American’s dinner, there is food, decorations on the table and tableware, and music to produce a fun atmosphere. It is a time for maintaining rich human relationships. Therefore, the meal is as long as 40 minutes. In addition, often the decorative tableware has been handed down mother to daughter, two generations, three generations. In addition, there are even more valuable dishes used for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

American food is flat to the taste, indifferent in the subtle difference of taste. There is no such thing there as a little “secret ingredient.” Sugar, salt, pepper, oils, and routine spices are used for family meals. There is no such thing as purely U.S. cuisine, except the hamburger, which isn’t made at home so much. There is almost nothing special to eat based on the different seasons of the year. Basically, they like sweet, high fat, high calories things.

Very funny, they got a couple things right but none if it really explains why Americans are overweight.

It says (in so many words) that Americans spend much more time at the table gorging themselves with huge portions of sugary, fatty foods. You must have missed that part.

Carnivor0us

In Japan, each person eating gets as many individual dishes as needed for the meal. Sometimes more than 10 dishes per person are used. In America, there is a method where a large bowl or dish is placed in the middle of the table, and you take as much as you like from there, and put it on a big dish said to be a "dinner plate."

In Japan, meals at home are for eating, because your stomach is vacant. At an American’s dinner, there is food, decorations on the table and tableware, and music to produce a fun atmosphere. It is a time for maintaining rich human relationships. Therefore, the meal is as long as 40 minutes. In addition, often the decorative tableware has been handed down mother to daughter, two generations, three generations. In addition, there are even more valuable dishes used for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

American food is flat to the taste, indifferent in the subtle difference of taste. There is no such thing there as a little “secret ingredient.” Sugar, salt, pepper, oils, and routine spices are used for family meals. There is no such thing as purely U.S. cuisine, except the hamburger, which isn’t made at home so much. There is almost nothing special to eat based on the different seasons of the year. Basically, they like sweet, high fat, high calories things.

Very funny, they got a couple things right but none if it really explains why Americans are overweight.

It says (in so many words) that Americans spend much more time at the table gorging themselves with huge portions of sugary, fatty foods. You must have missed that part.

It doesn't say that at all. It says Americans like high calorie, sugary and fatty foods. So do the Japanese. It doesn't say anything about gorging in that article.

SuperSexyDork

No, the Japanese are not generally overweight because their society values conformity. If you are overweight, you are not conforming to social standards and you are the focus of abject criticism.

Thus the Japanese proverb, "Deru kui wa utareru." Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down. Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.

Carnivor0us

No, the Japanese are not generally overweight because their society values conformity. If you are overweight, you are not conforming to social standards and you are the focus of abject criticism.

Thus the Japanese proverb, "Deru kui wa utareru." Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down. Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.

+1 billion

paperpudding

"At an American’s dinner, there is food, decorations on the table and tableware, and music to produce a fun atmosphere. It is a time for maintaining rich human relationships."

Actually I think this is a universal trait of all cultures - food is used for social occasions (ie maintaining rich human relationships), there are decorations, there is music or background entertainment of some sort (story telling etc) to produce atmosphere
There is table ware or cutlery or utensils of some sort.

Now this doesn't apply to every single meal, of course - my wolfed down breakfast before work or a hunter gatherer's berries on the trail - but all cultures have family and social and ceremonial meals that meet above criteria, it is not a uniquely American thing at all.