The Japanese eat rice every day yet stay 89% leaner than Americans
The Japanese eat rice every day yet stay 89% leaner than Americans
by wewewawa
33 Comments
BigBoyGoldenTicket
It’s because they don’t overeat and are largely pedestrian. It’s not rocket science.
5inchreality
This isn’t rocket science
I tell people who visit Japan to visit their 7-Elevan and then go visit ours in the US. Totally different atmosphere.
You walk into Japan 7-Elevan with healthy food selections, limited preserved food, and all sorts of treats that cater to the community.
You walk into US 7-Elevan with fried and processed food everywhere. Every items has preservatives and high concentrations of sugar and sodium. It’s ridiculous.
This is America folks.
Prof_PTokyo
There is much more diabetes and esophageal/stomach cancer here from diet than you would imagine. Carbs, salt, and sugar are much more prevalent than most people imagine.
FunAd6875
It’s also because Japanese people are raised to like healthy foods. Taught in Japan for a bit, surprised how many kids would tell me their favourite food was carrots, or broccoli, or beans. Don’t think I heard one person say “McDonald’s” or any other type of “junk food”
MagazineKey4532
It’s because they go into sauna every day when they commute. lol
Mission-Customer-446
Years ago in Cambodia while at an academy for bright minds, I noticed they were having millet for breakfast at the school. When I asked, the reply was about how families have recently had more money and would only be eating white rice if they could.
Like most things, moderation is probably best. Look where loaf after loaf of white bread brought the US. (United States: a high prevalence, with 14.6% of adults diagnosed with diabetes)
“”Japan has a prevalence of 11.8% (Approximately 11 million adults in Japan have diabetes, a figure that has risen from 6.9 million in 1997)
“Even though it is not sweet, sticky white rice is another food that can deceptively bump blood sugar. Devoid of the fibrous outer bran and nutrient filled germ layers, white rice is mostly starch with a correspondingly high glycemic load.Jan 30, 2023”
“The rising burden of type 2 diabetes is a major concern in healthcare worldwide. This [research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7310804/) aimed to analyze the global epidemiology of type 2 diabetes.””
ApprehensiveRope9148
I don’t think it’s strictly limited to culture/what we eat, but also our metabolisms. For example, I’m American and am able to eat massive amounts of junk food without gaining much weight at all. Other people I know, however, try their hardest to keep their weight down but have a lot of difficulty doing so. Perhaps there’s some sort of genetic predisposition at play?
LilMeatBigYeet
There’s certainly the pedestrian aspect, i think it’s also that almost every food in the US is enriched with HFC or other shit to make it more filling.
From what i understand it’s the legacy of WW2 “make as much shit as possible” mindset
I once tried a tomato in germany and it was only then i realized it has taste
Comprehensive-Pea812
Because eating rice doesn’t make you fat.
Overeating does.
The_Pancake88
Portion size and movement
WAEFrank
Weird title, how does rice relate to being fat
hou_tree
They also tend to not eat until they’re completely full
UnpluggedZombie
the idea that rice is bad for you is insane, you know whats bad for you? sugary drinks. People would be shocked how quickly they would lose weight if that was the only thing they cut out of their diets
Smooth_Ferret8081
Additive in our produced food and drinks will blow your mind. Just a simple fact of European countries banning so many kinds of snacks imported from US will simply make you question what kind of “food” you put inside your mouth on a daily basis. Business maximizing profits eventually hurt consumers – I wonder what % of business owners refuse to consume their own products knowing how many dangerous shit they put inside the food
alastor0x
Now do bread and pasta.
FWIWDept
I don’t get the headline. Do people think rice makes you fat? Is this part of the anti carb craze?
Mach12gamer
The traditional Japanese diet is, according to the course I took in college on food and culture, one of the healthiest traditional diets worldwide. Add in the fact that Japanese people tend to walk places way more often than Americans, and it makes total sense. It’s a literal thing of “they eat healthier on average and get more exercise on average”.
Fategfwhere
They walk everywhere and don’t over eat like we do. Does them being hard on fat ppl help as a society? Sure, but it’s mostly the other 2 things. Here in the states I tell ppl about walking 20 min to get groceries and they’ll look at me in disbelief.
Washoku_Otter
The Japanese WALK A LOT. Makes sense.
richmond_driver
Not a scientist, but lost 17 pounds (over 10% of my weight) after 4 weeks in Japan even though I tried everything, ate anytime I wanted and constantly snacked on hard candies and kit kat bars. I walked a lot in the cities. The rice portion isn’t huge. They almost always serve soup as the article mentioned. There is plenty of unhealthy stuff in the diet but the portions are small. A few thin slices of pork and half an egg is pretty typical for the protein portion of a bowl of ramen in Japan. Sometimes the vegetables seem like they’re more decorative than anything else.
Xerxes_Generous
The Japanese walk a lot more than the average American, and if you’ve ever been to Japan, you will know that their food is quality over quantity. Their main course size is really just our glorified appetizer size.
AddsJays
The portions will do you that.
_kashew_12
Yeah also, being fat is looked down upon in Japanese culture. You actually analyze what “skinny” people eat, instant ramen, fried food, etc. they just eat smaller portions and oil is the devil.
This could be said for all Asian cultures. You’ll always have that one aunt, “you got fat.” Or it could be your mother or grandma. It’s not really the food, but more the beauty standards and ideals. There’s still overweight people in Japan.
MooshuCat
I couldn’t get through that article with all the popups
Senior-Book-6729
Rice is actually getting fairly unpopular in Japan now because of health conscience. Also… carbs are not the devil. You need carbs to live. We just eat too much of them every day. You gotta balance them out. Japanese food is fairly balanced.
JeffFromTheBible
There’s also being taught to understand fullness and stopping eating before you feel completely full.
5teerPike
They eat like, maybe a cup
edparadox
That’s because the issue is not with complex carbs, but sugar.
Even American mustard is sweet.
Carrot_Smuggler
One thing no one mentions is the obligatory annual health check where they definitely will mention your cholesterol and BMI if they are projected to get worse. As in preemptive care, which is very important for long term health.
MephistosGhost
It Japanese or in Japan, but as an American, my perception is that it comes down to 1. American food products are loaded with sugar and addictive ingredients and unhealthy additives; 2. American culture often focuses on unhealthy foods; 3. American grocery stores are like giant convenience stores rather than a place that focuses on produce, meat and dairy; 4. Americans don’t exercise as much; 5. Americans have normalized being overweight, whereas Japanese culture does not.
33 Comments
It’s because they don’t overeat and are largely pedestrian. It’s not rocket science.
This isn’t rocket science
I tell people who visit Japan to visit their 7-Elevan and then go visit ours in the US. Totally different atmosphere.
You walk into Japan 7-Elevan with healthy food selections, limited preserved food, and all sorts of treats that cater to the community.
You walk into US 7-Elevan with fried and processed food everywhere. Every items has preservatives and high concentrations of sugar and sodium. It’s ridiculous.
This is America folks.
There is much more diabetes and esophageal/stomach cancer here from diet than you would imagine. Carbs, salt, and sugar are much more prevalent than most people imagine.
It’s also because Japanese people are raised to like healthy foods. Taught in Japan for a bit, surprised how many kids would tell me their favourite food was carrots, or broccoli, or beans. Don’t think I heard one person say “McDonald’s” or any other type of “junk food”
It’s because they go into sauna every day when they commute. lol
Years ago in Cambodia while at an academy for bright minds, I noticed they were having millet for breakfast at the school. When I asked, the reply was about how families have recently had more money and would only be eating white rice if they could.
Like most things, moderation is probably best. Look where loaf after loaf of white bread brought the US. (United States: a high prevalence, with 14.6% of adults diagnosed with diabetes)
“”Japan has a prevalence of 11.8% (Approximately 11 million adults in Japan have diabetes, a figure that has risen from 6.9 million in 1997)
“Even though it is not sweet, sticky white rice is another food that can deceptively bump blood sugar. Devoid of the fibrous outer bran and nutrient filled germ layers, white rice is mostly starch with a correspondingly high glycemic load.Jan 30, 2023”
“The rising burden of type 2 diabetes is a major concern in healthcare worldwide. This [research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7310804/) aimed to analyze the global epidemiology of type 2 diabetes.””
I don’t think it’s strictly limited to culture/what we eat, but also our metabolisms. For example, I’m American and am able to eat massive amounts of junk food without gaining much weight at all. Other people I know, however, try their hardest to keep their weight down but have a lot of difficulty doing so. Perhaps there’s some sort of genetic predisposition at play?
There’s certainly the pedestrian aspect, i think it’s also that almost every food in the US is enriched with HFC or other shit to make it more filling.
From what i understand it’s the legacy of WW2 “make as much shit as possible” mindset
I once tried a tomato in germany and it was only then i realized it has taste
Because eating rice doesn’t make you fat.
Overeating does.
Portion size and movement
Weird title, how does rice relate to being fat
They also tend to not eat until they’re completely full
the idea that rice is bad for you is insane, you know whats bad for you? sugary drinks. People would be shocked how quickly they would lose weight if that was the only thing they cut out of their diets
Additive in our produced food and drinks will blow your mind. Just a simple fact of European countries banning so many kinds of snacks imported from US will simply make you question what kind of “food” you put inside your mouth on a daily basis. Business maximizing profits eventually hurt consumers – I wonder what % of business owners refuse to consume their own products knowing how many dangerous shit they put inside the food
Now do bread and pasta.
I don’t get the headline. Do people think rice makes you fat? Is this part of the anti carb craze?
The traditional Japanese diet is, according to the course I took in college on food and culture, one of the healthiest traditional diets worldwide. Add in the fact that Japanese people tend to walk places way more often than Americans, and it makes total sense. It’s a literal thing of “they eat healthier on average and get more exercise on average”.
They walk everywhere and don’t over eat like we do. Does them being hard on fat ppl help as a society? Sure, but it’s mostly the other 2 things. Here in the states I tell ppl about walking 20 min to get groceries and they’ll look at me in disbelief.
The Japanese WALK A LOT. Makes sense.
Not a scientist, but lost 17 pounds (over 10% of my weight) after 4 weeks in Japan even though I tried everything, ate anytime I wanted and constantly snacked on hard candies and kit kat bars. I walked a lot in the cities. The rice portion isn’t huge. They almost always serve soup as the article mentioned. There is plenty of unhealthy stuff in the diet but the portions are small. A few thin slices of pork and half an egg is pretty typical for the protein portion of a bowl of ramen in Japan. Sometimes the vegetables seem like they’re more decorative than anything else.
The Japanese walk a lot more than the average American, and if you’ve ever been to Japan, you will know that their food is quality over quantity. Their main course size is really just our glorified appetizer size.
The portions will do you that.
Yeah also, being fat is looked down upon in Japanese culture. You actually analyze what “skinny” people eat, instant ramen, fried food, etc. they just eat smaller portions and oil is the devil.
This could be said for all Asian cultures. You’ll always have that one aunt, “you got fat.” Or it could be your mother or grandma. It’s not really the food, but more the beauty standards and ideals. There’s still overweight people in Japan.
I couldn’t get through that article with all the popups
Rice is actually getting fairly unpopular in Japan now because of health conscience.
Also… carbs are not the devil. You need carbs to live. We just eat too much of them every day. You gotta balance them out. Japanese food is fairly balanced.
There’s also being taught to understand fullness and stopping eating before you feel completely full.
They eat like, maybe a cup
That’s because the issue is not with complex carbs, but sugar.
Even American mustard is sweet.
One thing no one mentions is the obligatory annual health check where they definitely will mention your cholesterol and BMI if they are projected to get worse. As in preemptive care, which is very important for long term health.
It Japanese or in Japan, but as an American, my perception is that it comes down to 1. American food products are loaded with sugar and addictive ingredients and unhealthy additives; 2. American culture often focuses on unhealthy foods; 3. American grocery stores are like giant convenience stores rather than a place that focuses on produce, meat and dairy; 4. Americans don’t exercise as much; 5. Americans have normalized being overweight, whereas Japanese culture does not.
Source: am American, am fat.
The portions are a lot smaller.
More walking, less driving.
They also walk around like crazy.