The number of obese people in Japan is very low compared to other countries, especially when compared to the United States of America, where more than 40% of the adult population is considered obese. There are many hypotheses that try to explain the phenomenon of Japanese weight loss. From genetic factors to social motivations, all are possibilities that can be considered as the primary reason for such a result.
In this article, we will learn about the main theories and hypotheses regarding the causes of Japan's food culture and the social, economic, psychological, and historical variables that surround the subject.
Table of Contents
Hypothesis 1 - Physical exercises and walks
One of the most common hypotheses for the fitness of Japanese people is the fact that many of them walk to their respective places of work, instead of just taking the car or subway. It is common to see streets and alleys crowded with people walking hastily. This characteristic of walking can always be one of the factors that lead to weight loss in the Japanese.
Hypothesis 2 - Type of food
Another widely spread hypothesis is that the choice of foods to be consumed (eating habits) directly influences individuals' weight, considering that foods deemed nutritious and good for the diet, such as fish, vegetables, seeds, 大豆製品 and teas, when consumed frequently, tend to improve overall health and physical shape.
It is also a fact that many their palate is better suited to the natural flavor. Unlike Brazil, where everything is excessively sweetened, in Japan the palate of many people is not adapted to too much sugar.
In Okinawa, for example, life expectancy is considered very high, as the island has about 68 centenarians. However, the diet there is mainly based on carbohydrates, which contradicts most diet and quality of life manuals. To learn more about this unusual curiosity, read the article from BBC by clicking the link to the side: Carbohydrate, the unusual secret of the island with the highest life expectancy in the world - BBC News Brazil
Hypothesis 3 - Genetics of "thinness"
A third possibility involves the genetic issue. It is known that the formation and origin of humanity had several ramifications, due to the alternative conditions of climate and territory.
This hypothesis speculates that some of the Japanese DNA evolved to maintain a more active metabolism, perhaps as a result of the icy cold.
In this sense, perhaps the biological/evolutionary factor did play an important role in this.
Hypothesis 4 - Social pressure
Especially among women, there is social pressure to remain within a slender standard. The prejudice against overweight people in Japan is still, unfortunately, a very common problem. In society, people who are overweight are seen as careless.
Due to a culture based on the collective, most orientals seek to fit within the homogeneous mass of individuals. When this does not happen, problems like 自殺 end up appearing.
Hypothesis 5 - Consumption of thermogenics
Coffee, teas (such as green tea), ginger, and spicy foods are all considered thermogenic, which means they increase body temperature and heart rate, eliminate fluids, and thereby accelerate calorie burning.
Frequent consumers of coffee, green tea and chili peppers, Japanese are (often unconsciously) losing calories even at rest, due to ingesting these drinks and foods. Evidently, this hypothesis is controversial, considering that in Brazil and in the USA, coffee consumption, for example, is also high. Anyway, it is a possible hypothesis, but quite controversial and debatable.
Hypothesis 6 - Size of dishes and portions
Lastly, there is also the thesis that due to meals and snacks being composed of smaller portions, total caloric consumption decreases. Obviously, this does not apply to all Japanese people, but as a result of the culture of "Mottainai", that is, to avoid waste at all costs, they put only the necessary amount on the plate and what they will truly eat. In Brazil, there is a tendency to waste a lot of food, especially due to neglect in food preservation (which exceed expiration dates and are eventually discarded). In Japan, however, the care for food preservation and preparation is the result of a culture that values every grain of rice.
The size of the dishes and the number of portions of a lunch or breakfast in Japan would generally be closer to a small Brazilian snack than to lunch itself. Due to the fact that many food products are imported from abroad (mainly meat and fruits), some foods end up becoming more expensive and, with this, make it impossible for customers to buy and consume in large quantities.
Read our article about food in Japan by clicking here!
Japanese vocabulary about fitness
- やせる - Yaseru = Lose weight.
- 太る - Futoru = Get fat.
- Fat - Gordo (a).
- 細い - Hosoi = Thin, Thin.
- ムキムキ - Mukimuki = Muscular.
- 筋肉 - Kinniku = Muscles.
- 強い - Strong
- 弱い - Yowai = Weak.
- プロテイン - Purotein = Protein (usually refers to the supplement).
- 健康的 - Kenkouteki = Healthy.
- 健康にいい - Kenkou ni ii = Good for health.
- 健康に悪い - Kenkou ni warui = Which is bad for your health.
- ウエスト - Uesuto = Waist (measurements).
- 身体 - Karada = Body.
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