Japanese people always have a balanced and slim body due to a reasonable diet created from a young age by officials who support their families and schools.
One special thing about Japan that visitors can easily recognize is the slim figure of the people here. The country has very low obesity rates, contrasting with a culture that values food, with restaurants everywhere. Compared with the UK, where two-thirds of the population is overweight, obesity in Japan is significantly lower.
In the world, the problem of overweight is often concentrated in developed countries. People in rich countries consume more food. As Japan’s economy has developed over the decades, people’s weight has increased slightly, but obesity rates are still on par with countries like Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Malawi.
Fast food, snacks and sweets in Japan are abundant. However, the average daily calorie intake of people in this country is about 2,700, much lower than 3,400 in the UK and 3,700 in the US. Japanese people tend to choose healthy foods.
According to experts, the factors that keep obesity rates low in Japan are government policies and ingrained cultural habits. Henry Dimbleby, a former British Food Ministry official, pointed out that Japan strongly intervenes in businesses’ health benefits for employees.
By law, companies must provide annual health screenings to all full-time employees over the age of 40. Men with a waist circumference over 85 cm and women with a waist circumference over 90 cm will receive weight loss advice. This law was enacted in 2008 to address the rising obesity problem, although the increase is not high by Western standards.
Japanese elderly people exercise. Image: Reuters
The deeper reason why Japanese people have a slim figure is the culture that places importance on eating. This is almost an obsession. Japanese people invest in a quality meal, not considering high-quality food as a luxury. They think this is part of everyday life. Besides, healthy foods in Japan are also more affordable than other regions in the world.
Cooking shows are broadcast continuously on television, with close-up images of sparkling dishes and murmurs of praise. Every major office building in Tokyo has a basement full of restaurants. Here, for 1,000 Yen (about 7 USD), employees can buy a lunch including a piece of grilled fish, a plate of sushi or a bowl of noodles, prepared carefully and meticulously. These food portions are usually not too large, preventing employees from overeating after a tiring day of work.
Japanese people often drink water or unsweetened tea instead of fruit juice or carbonated soft drinks. They eat more red meat than before, but still consume more fish than Europeans and Americans. School lunches establish good eating habits early, are simple, healthy and low in calories. Students are not allowed to bring their own lunch to school. In elementary school, all students eat lunch at the same time. Parents are provided with a detailed menu at the beginning of the semester.
In such an environment, Japanese people’s eating in moderation is not as challenging as in the West.