Why is it so easy to be thin in Japan
You Can Never Be Too Skinny in Japan
As far as I can remember, I would return to Japan from a foreign country and be hit with the same reverse culture shock: everyone here is so darn skinny.
Japanese people being quite thin is no secret, and its attributable to Japans healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as genetics. With balanced meals comprising seasonal fish, meats and vegetables, and a habit of walking everywhere in the big cities, it makes sense that Japanese people are generally leaner than Westerners. What also looms large, though, is the sheer pressure to be thin in Japan. From the sly comments about weight to aesthetic salons at every corner of Tokyo, diet culture can be exhausting and harmful, particularly for young women. So, what is the culture around dieting in Japan? And what harm does it cause?
The Skinny Truth
According to the 2019 Japanese National Health and Nutrition survey, 11.5% of Japanese women are underweight, compared to 1.8% in the U.S. More significantly, though, is that 20% of Japanese women in their 20s are underweight. Leanness is applauded in modern culture, but its not always as sexy or healthy as advertised. Being underweight comes with risks of malnutrition, muscle and bone decay, lower immunity, and for people with uteruses, the possibility of becoming less fertile. If one in five Japanese women are underweight, this is a major health concern for the country.
Body Talks
In Japan, theres a shocking amount of discourse around the desire to be thin. Its normal for girls to talk about wanting to go on a diet, and men sometimes include their height and weight in social media bios. Whereas in Western cultures, curves are increasingly deemed as attractive, in Japan, many people still seem to believe that being thin is synonymous with beauty. Its particularly disturbing to see young girls, from as early as junior high, expressing a need to go on a diet or skip meals.
Although there have been improvements in the last decades, having your weight pointed out is a common occurrence in Japan. If youve rounded around the edges you might be given some concerned looks, or showered with compliments if youve shed a few pounds. Not only is physical appearance an unreliable metric for health, unprompted talk about ones body produces unnecessary anxiety to stay lean. For growing girls, the emphasis on being thin gives them the false impression that their value and importance is dependent on them keeping up their appearance. Societal expectations then bleed into personal value systems, perpetuating the cycle of gauging others and their body weight.
In Western cultures, there has been more discourse about how pointing out peoples weight, or even talking about a desire to lose weight, is taboo. In an era of body positivity, people are recognizing that there is so much more to beauty than being smaller and that discussing diets around people with eating disorders can be triggering. However, in Japan, its socially more acceptable to talk about peoples weight.
In Japanese dramas or anime, it is rare to see anything but model-skinny characters. A lot of comedians on Japanese variety television use their chubbiness as a punchline. Headlines were made when a curvier heroine graced the screen in the animated film Kin No Kuni Mizu No Kuni. The large ratio of underweight young women in Japan is certainly influenced by the fear and rejection of bodies with anything more than essential fat.
Aesthetic Salons and Fake News
While running around Tokyo, you might notice advertisements for aesthetic salons. Pronounced esute, these are establishments with non-surgical beauty procedures, like laser hair removal, aromatic massages, facials and dieting machines. It is a whopping $4 billion industry, and wide-spread among Japanese clients.
The allure of esute is that they claim to be able to spot-reduce fat, so if you want to just drop some belly fat without losing your breasts, according to these salons, you can.
What is scary about esute is the information they give. Are the explanations regarding weight loss and fat loss accurate? Claiming that their machines can directly kill fat cells and will rid that stubborn thigh fat for good, the information spread by these establishments sounds a little too good to be true.
Many esute facilities say cellulite is a result of toxins and excess water building up around fat cells, which harden and make certain areas of the body harder to shed fat. The Mayo Clinic website explains, however, that there is little known about the causes of cellulite, although it is formed by fibrous connective cords that tether the skin to the underlying muscle, with the fat lying between. With such vastly different explanations of cellulite, its confusing to figure out what exactly is true or effective.
Thats not to say that esute businesses are not effective. In fact, some people have sworn that the only way they were able to lose weight was via these companies. However, a lot of research has been done on esute machines, with varying results, most claiming fat loss results are temporary at best. Regardless of whether the machines at these salons are actually effective, having accountability and staff that gauge your weight-loss journey can be helpful.
That said, a lot of esute salons precisely take advantage of a customers insecurities to convince them to subscribe to their services. Many salons will take pictures, measure weight, body fat percentage and take measurements of your body to set tangible goals for their clients. Esute specialists will often explain that clients should aim for 18 to 22% body fat, explaining that 18% is a beauty standard and 20% is a healthy staandard. WebMD, however, claims women should aim for 21-32% body fat, far broader and higher than what esute companies preach. Anyone with a desire to lose weight, when receiving counseling at an esute salon, will be even further convinced of their necessity to lose weight, even if they are perfectly healthy.
Next Steps
Weight loss is certainly not a bad thing. At the end of the day, if people want to lose weight and live a happier, healthier lifestyle, that is a positive outcome. What is scary, is the necessity people feel to lose weight in Japan, and how normalized discussions of diets are.
Physically diminishing in size is a tangible reflection of Japans values for good or for bad. So what is there to do? In the end, nothing will change unless public consensus on healthy weight becomes more open-minded. The beauty industry thrives on consumer insecurities. Companies target women who want to become close to perfect as physically possible. What we need to remember, though, is that there is no such thing as perfection.
Why is it So Easy to Be Thin in Japan?
Why is it So Easy to Be Thin in Japan?
Author: Rusty Moore
In the US the obesity rate is 30% and in Japan, the obesity rate is only 3.5%.
It is crazy that the US has almost 10X the obesity rate of Japan!
Wonder why this is the case?
Heres a video explaining why its easier to be thin in Japan.
Heres one interesting observation.
There are 15 times more fast food restaurants per person in America than there is in Japan.
The Japanese also eat a lot more rice.
Isnt rice fattening?
Heres an article I wrote explaining why carbs are not the thing to blame for the rise in obesity.
Are Carbs Making us Fat?
Cheers,
-Rusty Moore
As a former fitness coach to fashion models, I can teach you how to increase muscle definition without adding size.
Click Here to check out my premium courses.
Why Are Japanese People So Thin?
A lot of people who visit Japan say the same thing: Japanese people are so thin!
But why is that? Is it simply because of the Japanese diet? That doesn't seem to fully explain it. Like many cuisines, Japanese food contains lots of nutrient-dense and sodium-rich foods (though you'll find plenty of veggies too).
So what's the explanation?
Well, daily life in Japan does tend to include a lot of walking. Theres also a strong cultural emphasis on health and an awareness of gaining weight that keeps people in check. But this still doesn't tell the full story.
So, if youve ever wondered why people in Japan are so thin or why the Japanese live so long youre in the right place. In this post, Ill explore why Japanese people are so thin and how they're able to stay that way.
But first, lets begin by taking a look at some data.
Highest Life Expectancy Rate in The World
Its a relatively well-known fact that Japanese people are healthier than most Westerners, but did you know that they have one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world?
According to data from the OECD, Japan boasts the highest rate of life expectancy at birth among G7 countries and is in the top five in the world overall. Other sources state that the country ranks even higher and is, in fact, in the third spot overall.
If we go by binary gender standards, on average, the life expectancy of Japanese men is around 81.1 years, while women boast an even higher rate at 87.1.
Naturally, quality of life is just as important as longevity, and Japan excels in this aspect too. According to a report from the Cardiology Institute of Montreal, Japanese peoples high life expectancy rates have a lot to do with lower rates of heart diseases and cancers in the country.
However, perhaps the biggest factor that affects the life expectancy rates seems to be the low obesity rates in the country.
In addition to having a longer life on average, Japanese people also struggle with obesity way less compared to countries like the U.S. where obesity is nearly an epidemic. In men, the obesity rates are around a low 4.8% while women are affected even less their rate is only 3.7%.
Still, the low rate of obesity isnt the only factor affecting life expectancy in Japan. The research states that the Japanese peoples secret to a long life is hidden not only in the countrys unique diet and eating habits but also in their active lifestyle.
But before I get to what Japanese people do and eat to achieve these results, lets talk about a fundamental motto that has been guiding the people of this country in staying healthy and thin for ages.
Hara Hachi Bu: The Culture of Mindful Eating
Have you heard of a philosopher called Kong Qui? Maybe you know him by his Western name, Confucius.
According to Confucian teachings that are based on the philosophers wisdom from centuries ago, its enough to eat until youre about 80% full.
This piece of advice stemmed from the idea that it takes around 20 minutes for the mind to realize that the stomach is full, so by stopping at a point where you feel 80% full, you could avoid overeating and, of course, wasting food.
It may be an old belief, but the concept of eating until youre 80% full, or hara hachi bu (a.k.a. hara hachi bun me), is still very popular in Japan, especially among Okinawans.
In fact, if you go to Okinawa, youll hear this phrase spoken before meals, especially by older people, as a gentle reminder not to overeat. Think of it as a sort of mini-prayer before eating, as it helps people set the mood for a mindful session of eating and enjoying food in moderation.
The sentence itself can be translated directly as until eight parts full or eighty percent full, so the directions are in the name. As many Japanese people follow this teaching or have this mindset taught to them from the get-go, its really no surprise that Japanese people are overall thinner and healthier.
A Balanced Diet: Japanese Food Is Lighter Than It Looks
As delicious as it is, Japanese food has plenty of carbohydrates and fats that can easily scare away the health-conscious types. However, theres more balance to it than you may think.
While Japanese food has noodles, rice, and similar carbs commonly associated with gaining weight, Japanese people consume lots of protein with it, and the fat, fiber, and vitamin contents of their diet are very well balanced.
For one, you wont find fat-heavy sauces in Japanese cuisine. Sauces are made to pronounce the flavor of the ingredients, not to completely smother it.
Of course, this also results in a lower caloric intake than that of the average American.
The cooking styles are healthier too. Steaming and boiling are more common than frying, and even fried food isnt deep fried but mostly stir-fried with little oil.
So, its not really that Japanese people dont eat as much carbs as other nations, as you can see in my post on Japanese noodles.
Its just that they eat lots of protein with it, as well as healthy vegetables that arent cooked to death, stripped of all vitamins and minerals, and drowned in fatty sauces.
The Magic of the Japanese Diet: Super Foods Galore
Yes, the Japanese stay healthier due to having a much more balanced mindset when it comes to preparing a meal. They also eat more vegetables and know when to stop once they think theyve had enough.
However, it turns out that Japans secret to health and long life also has to do with certain foods that are quite common in Japanese cuisine.
For one, Japanese people, like many other Asian people, have a lot of soybeans and soy-based products in their cuisine. Soybeans are rich in nutrients that are also known to help prevent and fight cancer.
Whats more, Japanese people frequently eat soybeans in fermented form as well. Miso paste, which is a base in many soups and ramen dishes, as well as the commonly used soy sauce are both made by fermenting soybeans. Fermented foods are known to be rich in healthy bacteria that help digestion, and they promote gut health.
In addition, another item thats common in Japanese households is green tea (or the more dense, powdered form matcha), which is said to have a variety of health benefits. Studies even suggest that it reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiac death.
So, considering the fact that both of these items are wildly popular in Japan, its no surprise that the Japanese have the longest life expectancy of any industrialized nation. After all, they consume lots of superfoods on a daily basis.
Just like were dissecting what Japanese people eat to find out why theyre thinner and live longer, we also need to take a closer look at what they dont eat.
Lower Sugar and Red Meat Consumption
The Japanese diet may be considered healthy based on what it includes, but also on what it doesnt.
Unlike the United States, where sugar is added to everything and even chocolate tastes sweeter than usual, sugar consumption in Japan is much more moderate.
Even in tea and coffee, most people dont use sugar, and the types of sugars that are used in Japanese cooking are all healthy sugars as well. These are also called raw sugars and are non-processed, non-bleached, and contain healthy minerals like phosphorus, iron, and calcium that refined white sugar lacks.
Japanese people also dont eat as much red meat as most Americans. Red meat is full of saturated fatty acids, and the consumption of red meat is also commonly associated with heart disease.
Instead of red meat, however, Japanese people consume almost twice as much seafood and fish compared to Americans. As you may know, unlike red meat fat, the fat found in fish is rich in Omega-3, known to reduce the risk of heart disease, and a common supplement taken by many people in the West.
Most Japanese people simply dont need these supplements because they get their omega-3 intake naturally, right from the source. So, its not hard to imagine a Japanese person staying healthy for longer with a diet such as this.
An Active Lifestyle Goes a Long Way
Lets be honest: how often do you see a fat Japanese person?
I bet you its not all that often. Japanese people eat healthy, but they also stay active, which helps them stay lean.
For instance, public transport use and walking are very popular ways to get to work or school in Japan. This is in contrast to the U.S., where the use of cars is much more common.
For those living in smaller cities or in Japans countryside, the inaka, bicycling to work is also quite common, which is a daily workout on its own.
As you can tell, working out, or at least staying active in some way, shape, or form, is important for the Japanese people.
In fact, there are many public community gyms in Japan that are very affordable and dont require memberships, which allows anyone to get a simple workout done. I talked about these extensively in my post on Japanese gyms.
Finally, youll see that even if they dont work out at the gym, youll find older people walking or running their errands by themselves in Japan out on the streets. Even in old age, people find a way to stay active, which helps them live longer.
Societal Pressure: Its in The Culture
Being the social animals we are, we humans have a tendency to be affected by what others think and say, and this is no different in Japan. In fact, societal pressure is even more prominent here due to the conservative nature of the countrys culture.
Pointing out someones weight gain may be an insult in the West, but its pretty normal in Japan, despite the culture of concealing ones true feelings being an important part of Japanese culture. Being thinner is openly valued in Japan, and not being thin causes you to stick out in a major way.
Of course, this isnt as toxic as it sounds. Its meant to be more of a nudge towards leading a healthier lifestyle. Try to think of it less as bullying and more as the ramblings of a worried mother looking out for her child.
In fact, in addition to eating less, theres also a bigger emphasis on eating healthier in Japanese culture. Not only does the culture boast a healthy diet, but children are also taught in school to cook a balanced meal for themselves.
Learning how to cook is seen as an integral part of a childs education, which promotes an overall healthier lifestyle. This results in food-conscious adults who cook more at home, eat less of those incredibly fatty fast food meals and are familiar with the ingredients that are in their food.
Conclusion: So, Is It Really The Genes?
If youve made it this far, youve probably concluded that the health and slimness of the Japanese cant be attributed solely to genetics.
Perhaps the most damning evidence as to why it isnt just the genes is the fact that Japanese people who move to the West or abandon Japanese eating habits gain weight and have a higher risk of cancer and cardiac death, just like Westerners.
This means that even if Asian genes may give them some sort of advantage compared to the rest, it doesnt work like magic if you stop eating mindfully and healthily.
So, next time you see an old but youthful and healthy-looking Asian person, dont just write it off as good genetics. Remember that they just might be doing things differently than the rest of us and that we can all learn something from the Japanese way of living.
