CHINESE FOOD diet.

You make a great point as far as eating healthy! However I would definitely make sure if I were following this style of eating to have small small bowls! Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad for you! Also I think having a lot of variety would make all of the difference.

They also work harder than us, walk a lot, bike a lot. Also, not as much processed food, if you compare Chinese people in cities where junk food and western habits are more common you will see that they are getting bigger like we did when we went down that path. Not sure if you have been to China or not but poverty plays a role to over there, fast food there tend to be for the middle class or rich rather than the poor as it is the case in the US.

The Chinese diet is your standard high carb, medium protein, low fat, low sugar diet. The low sugar part is key: they eat rice with every meal (even breakfast), but in the traditional Chinese diet you have sweets maybe twice a year, and fruit only when it's in season, i.e. 3 months in the year, and even then it's not an every day thing. In everyday food there is absolutely no sugar.

Also they have lots of clear soups and that fills you up without containing carbs or fat.

Malnutrition and poverty means people are thinner. And it means they eat stuff westerners wouldn't.

Malnutrition and poverty means people are thinner. And it means they eat stuff westerners wouldn't.

and malnutrition and poverty in America makes people fatter.

(also, I've got chicken hearts and feet in my fridge right now)

(also, I've got chicken hearts and feet in my fridge right now)

I think you'll find they're phoenix feet.

I was thinking more of stuff like bugs, caterpillars, dogs, more than the standard pig uterus, penis and suchlike you get in your average Chinese supermarket.

The life expectancy of someone in an affluent area is far beyond that of those in poorer places. Could the smaller average height have evolved as a direct result of generation after generation not having enough food to support taller people?

Smoking is common, blood pressure and strokes are an issue, dental health is almost non existent, pollution is horrendous, it's the foci of diseases such as influenza, SARS and so on. Plus, the poverty and suffering of the population from before WWII is going to have an effect upon the people now. For a start, as soon as they are experiencing greater affluence, they increase consumption of meat and processed foods. And are becoming fatter.


The principle of eating moderately applies everywhere. If you follow the habits of okinawan or Japanese people instead, as they have better longevity, the consistently appearing things are vast numbers of vegetables, fish, rice, exercise and eating lower calories. Lower than recommended here. But maybe the last is because they're smaller by average.



If someone wants to be small like the 'average' Chinese person (which average? Han? Or any of the other peoples that aren't mentioned but form huge proportions of the nation?), then perhaps they should remember that not only are they not an average Chinese person, but they don't live in the same environment or economy as the average Chinese person.

Not diet as in weight loss,and not Chinese food as in orange chicken,egg rolls,and
Ridiculous amounts of time spent at the buffet.I mean the typical Chinese diet, they don't count
Calories yet they don't even know the word obese. They eat rice with OCCASSIONAL
Meat added for flavor instead of meat being the main dish the vegetables are. 3 or 4
Side dishes of veggies and fruit and they eat until they are full. They don't leave the table
Until they are full! They obviously have better health than americans and they definitely look younger.
I can never figure out how old they are, that's awesome.
I feel like the main reason we people gain weight is from snacking. tIt's hard to eat 6-8 hundred
Calories at each meal, three times per day and honestly say you're not full. Eating until you're
Full and skipping snacks seems legit because counting calories is kinda annoying.
Thoughts?
Input?

Chinese folks have different genes. Have you seen mixed Chinese people born and brought up in US? They do gain weight just like normal Americans. However, I do agree with you that the chinese food in US is more for US folks, actual food in China is much healthier and more steamed veggies and fresh fruites....:)

They also eat MUCH MUCH slower. I didn't know how long I could sit there waiting for someone to be done until I saw my Chinese friend eat a Starburst in three bites.

Also, I've stayed for prolonged periods of time in Japan and while that's not China, I DID notice that this diet made me feel very drained. A TON of carbs and vegetables and very little protein. (I'm used to having one trillion grams of protein a day.)