Japanese Women Don't Get Fat... or Old

tulip

The key issue I see is being a "food stylist." European and Japanese cultures have an appreciation for the artistic side of food preparation that's lacking in North America.

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Spectra

I watch the show "Iron Chef" on the Food Network sometimes, and you can definitely tell that the Japanese do not eat huge portions at meal times. There's a Japanese restaurant at the Food Court in the mall by me and one time when I was in line, the guy in front of me ordered tempura. The guy taking his order said "That deep-fried...you sure you want that?" and the guy got mad and said "YES, I want that! Otherwise I'd have ordered something else!" They eat tempura only seldom in Japan, it's somewhat of a treat. I definitely agree with Jim...sushi rocks :)

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Jim

Salmon sushi in particular is fantastic! It's all there - omega 3's, good proteins, nutrients, etc. I think it's the best choice to make at a mall food court.

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Randy Smith

Just what we need – another cultural stereotype diet superiority book. I can hardly wait to read it.

There is however great value to at least five of the seven pillars of Japanese food - fish, vegetables, soy, tea, and fruit. The rice and noodles are fine in moderation, better if the rice is unrefined and the noodles are made from whole grain flour.

Last time I checked you can find all seven pillars right here in the good old USA.

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

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Ben

The Japanese culture is way ahead of us in terms of nutrition and food quality. Ironically, they are ahead of us for the most part by keeping with old traditions. Sure, the North American influence has definately reached their shores with fast food and stuff, but most Japanese people still wake up every morning and eat some miso broth and rice for breakfast. They have more snacks than anywhere else in the world, but most people hardly eat them. Or at least eat enough healthy food to neutralize any harmful effects that it could have.

I bet if any overweight person moved to Japan and actually ate like a Japanese person, they would lose all of their weight effortlessly within a year. Unfortuntely, too many people still think "raw fish? eww". Sushi isn't the only thing on the Japanese menu, folks.

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ali

thats not true, japanese ARE getting fat, the rate is way slower than the US though..

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nippondeska

ignorance.
there are so many factors that play into the japanese culture that make the diet what it is. Without trying to deviate from the focus,
you cannot praise one type of cultural for the way they handle their foods without knowing the histories of what imperialistic attitudes they had to take on piror to their dainty appetites, and gentle mannerisms.

Go read some history folks. Know all the history of why people can be what they are, and what sacrifices other cultures had to make because of them, before you praise a culture.

Of course it's simpler to be "cilvilized" and "accomplishing" when one has the resources taken from other surrounding areas. Take a child, if you were to nourish it with all that you can, from stolen goods, the child will still most likely end up with better mannerisms or health than the ones who had their food stolen. Let's not try to play biased cards here, Im only speaking from researching on Japanese cultures.

Go get educated. :-)

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tulip

Nippondeska,

While you raise a valid point about cultural imperialism and its impact on food history, the same can be said about many cultures around the world, not just Japan. Humans wage wars and absorb, conquer, etc. other cultures and their customs. Sad but true. All nations to one degree or another exhibit cultural mixing, whether that mixing was voluntary or not.

There are many of us who read this blog who are educated : -)

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Ben

The point you raised is irrelevant. Japanese people eat better than we do, it doesn't matter how they got that way. North America has all the money and resources to be the healthiest part of the world, yet we're not.

I find history boring as hell; I like to focus on what's happening around me and what might happen, not what already has. Don't slap me in the face with that "get educated" crap just because I don't find cultural history interesting.

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Megan

yeah what he said!

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satori

I lived in Japan in 2003 and 2004, and let me tell you, plenty of unhealthy food abounds there. There's not only American fast food in large quantities, but plenty of fast food that the Japanese have invented as well. I lived in the Tokyo suburbs, and between my apartment and the train station -- a seven-minute walk -- there were over 20 vending machines selling many varieties of sugary drinks (soda, energy drinks, fake fruit juice, coffee, cocoa. Oh, and beer!). And, unlike North America, Japan has more than one coffee chain that's trying to saturate the market. Tully's Coffee, Starbucks, Doutor, and Excelsior Cafe are everywhere you go -- and they all sell syrupy creations and pastries.

Even more prevalent, though, are the convenience stores. If you live in a city or suburb in Japan, there's certainly a convenience store within a block or two of your apartment. These serve mainly as small supermarkets -- you can buy bread, yogurt, cereal, tofu, junk food, etc., as well as hot prepared meals. Consequently, the trend has gone toward more eating of these quick meals instead of cooking at home.

What makes the difference between the Japanese body and the North American body? Activity. No doubt. In Japan, I walked to the train station, then walked to work. I went up and down many, many flights of stairs every day. Going to the supermarket required a fifteen-minute walk... and then a fifteen-minute walk home carrying grocery bags. Sometimes I would get off the train one stop early and walk 30 minutes home. It adds up. I didn't notice the huge difference in my activity level until I came home. In Japan, you must have good walking shoes and dress for the weather. Back here at home in Atlanta, I can get away with not even wearing a coat to work on cold days. I park indoors, eat lunch at my desk, and so hardly have to spend more than a few minutes of each day outside. If I didn't exercise and didn't have a dog I walk several times a day, it would be quite possible to spend less than fifteen minutes a day actually moving around.

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Shannon

I've read about half of the book so far and it's all about Japanese HOME COOKING. Not Japanese eating in general.

Basically, the Japanese who eat home cooked meals based on the 7 pillars are not obese and do not have health problems associated with poor diet.

Anyone who eats processed foods no matter where they live in the world will not meet the healthiness of someone who eats food with very simple, non-chemical ingredients.

Also, the portions are much smaller.

Yes, they do eat white rice much more often (3 meals per day), but she promotes brown rice because centuries ago, that is what the Japanese ate until the Samarai made their mark on the Japanese diet with white rice.

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Marshall

I agree with the benefits of the Japanese diet mentioned above. What some are arguing about is the terrible,capitalist influence the US has on the rest of the world vs. a traditional Japanese diet. Mickey D's and Dunkin donuts,for example. The Japanese who stick to their diets are much healthier;this is one place where statistics don't lie. On the other hand,some Japanese are so thin that when they turn sideways,you can't see them. I personally like seeing those sweet little ladies fattened up just slightly after eating American food.(: Sushi,on the other hand is a scary thing for me. I would have to take the bullet instead of trying it myself. The low carb diets don't work for long term. Please research to see what I mean. The standard American diet is the worst ever,making us the unhealthiest nation. Vegetarian and vegan diets do work,but not every body responds the same to foods. So,we have to experiment to find the ideal. Have you ever seen the healthy glow in a vegan? How about a second-generation vegan? It's pretty convincing. Enough said. Have a healthy life!

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Elle

What can we learn from this book without throwing negative comments around. Yes, the Japanes culture as a whole eats smarter than Americans. Who doesn't want to live longer and healthier when we get to old age. The concept for the home cook is a solid change for Americans. Maybe if people made some changes to their diet like use rice oil, eat less meat and add more grains and vegetables like we know we should, we might all benefit. I liked the book very much and I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes.

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Sara

Okay, everyone above has a valid point, but perhaps by looking at attitude toward food, obesity and longevity can be weighed in. Take Japan, and France for instance, they eat relatively healthy meals with small servings, and they DON'T count calories. A large part of eating and gaining weight resides from the pressures to stay thin and healthy, then leading to counting calories , which is an issue obscure to the Japanese and French. And as we all know, if you give something up, you will crave it. So the disposing of 'bad' foods from our diets only cause us to indulge in them more. The Japense and French do not do that

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heather

If people in general used common sense when it comes to diet and excersize, maybe all this talk about what cultures eat what, and why, would not be so relevent. I read about the Japanese diet, and although I most definately don't need to lose weight, I believe that integrating that diet into my life would probably help me feel alot better than I do now. I have to disagree with Nippondeska. Choosing what kind of food you eat, based on one culture, should not have to involve looking into that culture's history to seek why they eat the way they do. What you put into your body matters because of the way in effects your body. Cause and Effect. You choose foods based on many factors. I have a high metabolism, so I've grown up eating fattening foods with minimal consequences to my weight. However when you are eating, the point is to nourish your body, not to control your weight. Now as I am getting older, I have gained more knowledge and a different perspective on foods. I know that what I eat affects how I feel. Eating greasy or sugary foods is okay, if you know how to moderate. Eating too much of any one type of food can have negative effects. Use common sense when you put something in your mouth. The Japanese diet does that. So do many people of other cultures, including America, just not as a whole. We grow up learning about the food groups. Being told to eat fresh fruit and veggies, and healthy grains. It's just a matter of actually applying what you learn. That said, instead of critizing the Japanese diet, and trying to find examples of Japanese people that don't follow it, who do get fat, perhaps try to learn from it.
And as far as saying the Japanese "stole" from other countries to get where they are, look at America. Go get educated yourself, Nippo...see that no culture is innocent when it comes to our histories.

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Jimbo

I'm getting tired of the starry-eyed mystique that these books (including French Women Don't Get Fat) try to cast on the eating habits of another country. There's really no mystery. A pound is 3500 calories, whether you're in France, Japan, or the U.S. And the simple reason why the French and Japanese have fewer pounds than the Americans is because they consume fewer calories and they exercise more. The books will tell you that the French enjoy their food more, that their food is higher in quality, and that they prepare their meals fresh at home, but what all that boils down to is smaller portions,less fat/artificial products, fewer calories, and thus less weight put on. It has very little to do with how much they "savor" something; after all, I can savor a pound of chocolate cake all I like, but it won't change the amount of calories in there.

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p

I agree that it all boils down to the caloric value and activity level, like Jimbo says. HOWEVER, I think you might be missing the whole point of bringing up the cultural, aesthetic, and "savor"ing aspects that maybe the French or Japanese incorporate. The focus on aesthetics and savoring a food more thoroughly IS that it allows better portion control. In many Asian countries, the food can be just as caloric or fattening, except the difference is that they satiate faster and more easily on less food. Which is why most of them don't get to the point of eating a pound of chocolate cake. Yes, they still have fatty foods, but they learn to appreciate the food quality and flavor and incorporate the quality-over-quantity approach. I've also noticed that they seem to be more aware of their body signals. For instance, they are quicker to feel satisfied and realize they don't need to keep eating the rest of the food in front of them. Also, they seem to be more body-monitoring on a daily basis. I know many who are immediately aware of even slight bloating or a half-kg weight gain; they are also quick to take action and cut down on food or exercise more.

These are generalizations over a large population, so I'm not assuming every single person is like this. I'm just saying from an Asian perspective as someone who has lived in Japan and Taiwan that these are some things I've noticed.

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danny

I agree with P
The savoring aspect is very important. It all leads to the concept of "true hunger" and natural caloric restriction.

True hunger is not felt in the stomach but in the throat, it doesn't make you spacey and weak but alert and full of energy so as to be able to find the food you need. When there's true hunger whatever natural unprocessed food we eat tastes delicious, even without salts or other artifical aromas
When you eat because of true hunger you also know when you've crossed the hunger threshold and are just "filling" your body rather than "feeding" it
This leads to a natural "restriction" of calories or listening what your body wants. Natural caloric restriction leads to increased longevity and helted aging because overconsumption of food and calories increase the oxidization of the body and the effects of free radicals. But natural caloric restriction leads also to instinctive hunger for nutrients dense foods because the average western people can't find enough nutrients in 3500 of food because the food he/she eats is so nutrientless while a diet based on nutrients and unprocessed food would provide enough nutrients even if just 1800 calories are consumed.
True hunger also is proportionated to one's level of physical activity. The average 3000 calories of the western average person are not justified as calculating from their activity level in their free time or at job they are supposed to need half that amount

Needless to say that western people never eat according to real hunger but boredome hunger, nervous hunger, cultural conditioned hunger or because of corrupted pverstimulated taste buds

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lama

I think everyone is different you cant just say that Japanese don't get fat because your speaking for everybody...even if it is the majority everyone is still different. I personnaly am in the 10th percentile and I live in america which is the average and I'm not obese (if anything I'm skinny)

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jk

This is hilarious. My mom is from Japan, my dad was born here (but his folks were from Japan). My mom has been overweight most of her life, and my dad was not. My dad had a terrible diet. The Japanese diet is relatively healthy, with the tofu and vegetables, but if you eat like my family did, it's easy to get fat. You could be 50 pounds overweight, like I am, on a mostly Japanese diet, if you eat a lot of food. Only 25 pounds were put on when I was eating a lot of fast food -- the last 25 have been mostly Japanese and Asian eating. We never had dainty little dishes -- the fried pork was loaded up on big plates, and the rice cooker was always full. It was full of yummy white rice, which is pure carbs. The foods, especially the veggies, are also high in sodium, so it tastes really good. There's shoyu in everything. There's also more and more oil in the foods, because oil is used like a flavoring. Tempura and tonkatsu are very high in fat. The main reason Japanese aren't so fat is because they're image-conscious and try to stay thin. This is especially true of the more affluent folks, just like in America. Also, Americans have been affluent since the 1950s, so food has gotten cheaper and cheaper. This didn't happen in Japan until the 1980s, and food hasn't become cheap because they import so much of their food.

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jk

p said:
I agree that it all boils down to the caloric value and activity level, like Jimbo says. HOWEVER, I think you might be missing the whole point of bringing up the cultural, aesthetic, and "savor"ing aspects that maybe the French or Japanese incorporate. The focus on aesthetics and savoring a food more thoroughly IS that it allows better portion cont[...]

I'm going to guess this is because when you're over there, you're circulating at a higher economic strata than you are here. Americans have some of the highest incomes in the world, and Taiwanese do not. Even Japanese average less. You're hanging with people who are of a higher class than usual. More affluent people have more anxieties about getting fat.

I notice that the Japanese people in America - the ones from Japan who are young, are calorie conscious. Some are nearly anorexic. Most of these people are middle class, and wealthy enough to have their parents pay for their time in America, to some degree. They go to college and waste time playing video games and whatnot.

These are people in the top 1/3 or so of their society. And that cluster of people there, just like in America, hate being fat. I think they even hate other people being fat.

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jk

Ben said:
The point you raised is irrelevant. Japanese people eat better than we do, it doesn't matter how they got that way. North America has all the money and resources to be the healthiest part of the world, yet we're not.[...]

The main reason we're fat is the "free market" that has produced sugary sodas, fried snacks, processed grains, and a lot of meat. There is little regulation of nutrition beyond making certain that food will not poison you. Even in the non-free market, food subsidies are not designed to benefit healthy eaters -- food stamps can be used for pop tarts.

The consumption of unhealthy foods needs to be regulated. A tax should be levied to make healthy foods more affordable -- this could be a direct calorie tax. Bad calories get taxed, and good calories get subsidized. For example, a 10 cent tax on a 2oz bag of chips could be collected by the store; but for every pound of raw carrots sold, the store would deduct 10 cents from their tax. People would see the chips as expensive, and the carrots as cheap. Over time, more carrots would be available.

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Tin

Randy Smith said:
Just what we need – another cultural stereotype diet superiority book. I can hardly wait to read it.[...]

Tsh, does it work? hmm? ..not as well. Stop with this whole "American Patriotism" thing. This book isn't about snubbing other countries, it's about benefiting off Japanese food. The book doesn't try to convince the reader otherwise.

nippondeska said:
ignorance.
there are so many factors that play into the japanese culture that make the diet what it is. Without trying to deviate from the focus,
you cannot praise one type of cultural for the way they handle their foods without knowing the histories of what imperialistic attitudes they had to take on piror to their dainty appetites, and gen[...]

There's a difference between being educated, and throwing around fancy words and adjectives to try to prove *you* are educated.

We are not interested in reading a 20 line analysis on a point of view that should only take a 5.
This is not your own personal editorial page, alright? If you were so educated you'd go get a life.

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Karina

I don't think people should generalise saying that "all Japanese are thin". (I'm living in Japan right now; I'm half-Japanese.)
Here's my personal take:

1.In Japan, despite the abundance of it, fast food is expensive. I don't think most people could even afford eating out at fast food places as much as many Americans do. Eating at home, or buying food that's not from fast food places is much cheaper.
2.If you look at the vending machines selling drinks, not all of it is carbonated sugar water. Some sell water, and most sell green tea or some sort of Asian tea with no sugar in it.
3.Although many Japanese people own cars and drive, they're not dependent on it as a means of transportation. Those who have cars don't use it every single time they need to get out of the house.
They walk more, and if the weather permits, many will ride bikes. Even if you take public transportation, chances are you will be walking to some extend over in Japan.
4.Portions! Japanese portions are usually moderately sized compared to American portions.
5.Japanese food isn't just sushi and sashimi. Most people don't eat that stuff every day. Some examples of common side dishes at dinner might be grilled fish, or a tofu and vegetable sautee, or boiled spinach served cold with a dash of soy sauce for flavour. There are tons more to Japanese cuisine, but most Japanese don't eat steak or fried food on an everyday basis.
6.In Japan, fresh food is cheap, and the demand for fresh food is high anyways. It's just cheaper to buy fresh food than eating out all the time.
7.Different standards of what is "fat" and what is "skinny". The Japanese people, I think have a different standard than Westerners about what is "fat" and what is "thin". The average Western woman's physique would be probably considered "chubby" or "voluptuous" by Japanese standards. A slim Western woman's physique is probably "normal" or "just right" by the Japanese. (Which may be why too many Westerners accuse Japanese women of being anorexic looking---what's "anorexic looking" by Western standards is simply on the "slim" or "thin" side in Japan.)
8.People are more concerned about taking care of themselves and how they look in Japan. You hardly see people walking in pajamas in public in Japan. Women over 30 or over 40 in Japan (for the most part) don't give up on looking good instead of just letting themselves go like many older American women do.
Being thin is also part of "looking good" in Japan. Despite the low obesity rate, numerous magazines have articles about staying thin and keeping fit. Weight loss supplements sell like crazy over here. Whether you think this encourages eating disorders may be your point of view, but I think most Japanese people would never let themselves go so far to be obese. They would probably try to lose weight before they go too far to be "obese".

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Kuwaitya

luv this book

خل يشوفون نظام اكلنا

عيش ولحم ودجاج
احلى شي بالدنيا :)

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MBP

I think Karina makes a good point about the comparative language of what is "anorexic" and "slim" and "average" and "fat" between Western and Eastern cultures.

People have to remember that it is a major genetic characteristic of the Japanese to have a smaller bone structure than caucasians and even Asian peoples to the west and south. True, there are exceptions to this, but the average Westerner (male or female) has larger bones and a larger build than the average Japanese person.

To say that a Japanese citizen looks "anorexic" is to ignore their naturally smaller build.

All that being said, the book should certainly be taken with the same grain of salt that you would apply to any advice given by a stranger. Some of it is wise, and some of it should have been obvious to begin with (take the stairs, walk, don't stuff yourself, etc.).

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charlene

Yes I agree that the Japanese is the healthiest in the world but the fact is if america stopped eating so much fast food and processed foods and started eating fresh and non chemical foods and do a cleansing about every other month then I bet they'd see a difference. I my self is obeses I and I had to take a step back and look at the way I was eating and now I'm starting to go and live the natural way with natural foods and even staight up living naturally it is a bit more spendy but in the long run it's so much better. I've lost 30pounds just from not drinking pop and processed items

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Alyssa

YOu just have to watch out for monosodium glutamate, it's in a lot of sushi ingredients and what not. That stuff is bad for you.

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Nalia

I have not read this book, but I just want to say that the body is a pretty efficient machine, and if the body burns more fuel than is taken in it loses weight. Pretty simple. Also, a lot of times people feel hungry when they are dehydrated. When I get hungry, I drink a ton of water, and wait to see if I still feel hungry. Usually I don't.

I like the Japanese culture and I do think they take better care of themselves.

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