health
In Japan, life lessons in healthy eating
Here's a number that might make you put down that second donut: In the United States, around 40 percent of all adults are considered obese. In Japan, the obesity rate is only one-tenth of that.
TL;DR
- Japan's obesity rate is one-tenth of that in the United States.
- Japanese people incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives, such as walking extensively.
- Companies like Tanita Corporation promote employee fitness through mandatory weigh-ins and step tracking, with incentives and consequences.
- The traditional Japanese diet is simple and promotes gut health, and the practice of 'hara hachi bu' encourages eating until 80% full.
- Japan's school lunch program, established post-WWII, emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, particularly vegetables, and teaches healthy eating habits.
- Nutritional education in schools aims to instill lifelong healthy eating habits in children.