why aren't Japense people fat?
chrisdavey
Posts: 9,834 Member
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Replies
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Aren't obesity rates rising in Japan as they are in many industrialized countries?0
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Because they do not eat gigantic portion sides that North Americans do. If you go to a Japanese restaurant ( a real one... not the chinese place around the corner with the deep fried shrimp) you will get served small portions. If you go to an American restaurant, your going to get served a HUGE plate full of pasta, deep fried stuff, etc.
They have just always had small portions and do not eat most of the greasy, fried foods that are so readily available to North Americans. Of course, there are obese people in Japan. But a MUCH smaller percentage that North America.
North America is a world-leader on obesity rates.0 -
It's the culture. Gluttony and the likes are seen as bad manners. But there sare still many fat Japanese people (sumo wrestlers?)0
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I wonder if the cost of food doesn't have something to do with it, too. My friend just got back from a year in japan and he said grocery prices were more expensive, although restaurant prices were on par with the US. He estimated groceries were 30-50% more expensive than he was used to, although that was probably off due to the fact that he doesn't typically buy Japanese food products over here. He did say beer was expensive and pizza hut was crazy expensive, like $25+ for a pizza.
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Sigh. I'm just going to copy and paste from a previous post I made.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1025828-portion-sizes-in-japan-vs-usa
Living healthier isn't any easier in Japan. Bar the fact that many people here walk and take trains to work instead of driving they have many of the same pitfalls of convenience and taste over health as we do.0 -
They eat smaller portions. Even when they go to McDonald's or other fast food places, they eat smaller sizes. Their soda cups are tiny and even the oils they use to fry foods are different. I spent almost 7 years in Okinawa and while there are obese people, it's very uncommon.0
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"Body positivity" isn't a thing here. If you're fat, you're fat, and no man will want to date you. So women but insane diet products and starve themselves to get under 50kg so they will be desirable.
It's not socially acceptable to be overweight. Advertising on TV, magazines and newspapers here are full of miracle diets and women that look like **** (IMHO) because they've starved away all their muscle tone and end up looking like ten year old boys.
For example, today my Facebook advertising gave me this little gem:
"How many kilo can you lose before summer?"
An ad for a horrible weight loss "drink" made from vegetables and animal placenta that you are supposed to drink for three days instead of eating food. Fabulous. 99% of the advertising on my fb feed is this crap.0 -
thanks - enjoyed reading.....0
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They eat smaller portions. Even when they go to McDonald's or other fast food places, they eat smaller sizes. Their soda cups are tiny and even the oils they use to fry foods are different. I spent almost 7 years in Okinawa and while there are obese people, it's very uncommon.
Generally true but obesity is a rising issue.
McDonald's and the like releasing super super sizes like the Mega Mac and Mega Potato, Lotteria's 10 layer special burger, all you can eat cake buffets coupled with poor general education about fitness and nutrition is quickly bringing the countrywide levels of obesity up. That coupled with a falling marriage rate and more women staying in work after marriage is meaning convenience food is more popular and home cooked nutritious meals are becoming less common.0 -
There's a joke (with a few variations) that makes the internet rounds every few years.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Apparently speaking English is what kills you!0 -
It's the sodium and MSG.
As a previous poster stated, they have some of the same issues with the US on fad diets and approaches that basically starve people.
But activity does count. They walk alot. They also do EXERCISE as groups before work starts. Even if it's just calenstinics.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
But activity does count. They walk alot. They also do EXERCISE as groups before work starts. Even if it's just calenstinics.
Man, those exercises are NO FUN on a summer morning.0 -
My Japanese teacher told me that Meat & Sweets Cost much more then Veggies and Rice. A typical japanese meal is a cup (small bowl) of rice and a bunch of veggies with a sauce and at least 1 cup of tea. For desert, her family would eat fruit. Meat and Sweets were eaten on special occasions like holidays. And most Japanese walk, take subway, or bus to get to their destinations. But to get to any of those sorts of transportation, you'll still need to "walk".
With Mcdonalds meal prices being fairly cheap however, more people were able to buy them more often which is what helped the raise in chubbys of Japan xD But now they set out a law that people over i think 40inch waist would have to go on a diet or they'll be charged(with money) for it at certain companies. I cant remember the article I read exactly. But i know it was something to that effect.
My teacher told me that a box of cake mix in Osaka,Japan(thats where she's from) is about $6 and up. She said that its very cheap to buy fish in Japan. While US its cheap to buy meat but expensive to buy good fresh fish.
If i were to summarize Japan, everything we're not doing when it comes to food and exercise, they ARE doing.0 -
I used to have Japanese co-workers and they always had these small little bento-boxes that they would bring to work with their lunch. They did eat whatever but they were in such small portions. About half a cup of white rice, some meat in another compartment and a lot of vegetables and little salads and usually a piece of fruit. I also never saw them snacking or eating a lot of sugar like the rest of us fatties did lol.0
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There's a joke (with a few variations) that makes the internet rounds every few years.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Apparently speaking English is what kills you!
I do feel that you american Johnnies have more heart attacks than us British and I do believe we speak English as well0 -
Maybe it's not pronouncing the H in Herbs
Most of the goodness of vegetables is in the skin perhaps there's a similar thing here in that the goodness of Herbs is in the H?0 -
Wow so many stereo types in one thread.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/03/11/national/obesity-on-the-rise-as-japanese-eat-more-western-style-food/#.Ucm4mDA1h3A0 -
The US does have the highest obesity rate and we do have a problem, but we do have to consider that the number is a bit skewed due to the metric being used. BMI is flawed, as it does not account for differences in body composition - it is an index: an approximation of a population. I fall into the high end of "overweight" using BMI (28%), but at the upper limit of "athlete" using body fat percent (17%). I lived in India for a while, and obesity isn't a huge issue there, but heart disease and diabetes are.0
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There's a joke (with a few variations) that makes the internet rounds every few years.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Apparently speaking English is what kills you!
I do feel that you american Johnnies have more heart attacks than us British and I do believe we speak English as well
Deaths due to coronary disease are higher (however slight) in the UK than in the US. http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/coronary-heart-disease/by-country/0 -
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They are getting fatter (and taller) as they eat a more Western diet. In large part they just eat better than we do and eat less. The general rule is to eat until you are about 75% full and then walk away.
Not a bad rule to live by, as hunger signals take some time to be overcome by satiety signals.0 -
Well the way you speak English makes it a different more beautiful language so it doesn't affect your heart. LOL Humm this wasn't the post I replied to. It was the British comment so I guess the new MFP program isn't working quite right yet.0
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haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaThere's a joke (with a few variations) that makes the internet rounds every few years.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Apparently speaking English is what kills you!0 -
There's a joke (with a few variations) that makes the internet rounds every few years.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Apparently speaking English is what kills you!
Oh, good thing I know sign language! Wait, that counts, right?0 -
Crazy talk :ohwell:
Also, gyms are not common in Asia. The people stay thin without "working out".0 -
"Body positivity" isn't a thing here. If you're fat, you're fat, and no man will want to date you. So women but insane diet products and starve themselves to get under 50kg so they will be desirable.
It's not socially acceptable to be overweight. Advertising on TV, magazines and newspapers here are full of miracle diets and women that look like **** (IMHO) because they've starved away all their muscle tone and end up looking like ten year old boys.
For example, today my Facebook advertising gave me this little gem:
"How many kilo can you lose before summer?"
An ad for a horrible weight loss "drink" made from vegetables and animal placenta that you are supposed to drink for three days instead of eating food. Fabulous. 99% of the advertising on my fb feed is this crap.
Oh my gosh, animal placenta!!! That is enough to make me not want to eat the rest of the day. I bet that's the secret!! Ewe!!!! I can't imagine!!0 -
They're getting chubbier now that our delicious fast foods are over there.0
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An ad for a horrible weight loss "drink" made from vegetables and animal placenta that you are supposed to drink for three days instead of eating food. Fabulous. 99% of the advertising on my fb feed is this crap.
I'd rather just not eat...0 -
"In general, Japanese people don’t like to stand out. Ignore the freaks hanging out in Harajuku at the weekend, this is the country where the group is more important than the individual."
This quote also does not apply to Butoh Dancers.0
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