Why Are Japanese So Slim?

One reason why Japanese people are not overweight is that they usually only eat until they are 80% full, a practice known as “hara hachi bu.” In particular, the people of Okinawa live by this motto and are among the healthiest, slimmest, and longest-lived people in the world. Of course there are other healthy habits that Japanese people practise to keep slim and healthy namely portion control and daily exercise.

Portion Control

Another reason is the portion control. In the West people usually heap their plates high with food and often take second helpings. Furthermore, fast food or desserts are generally served “super size”; whereas in Japan these foods are served in much smaller portions.

Healthy Breakfast

Japanese people usually start the day with a nutritious breakfast consisting of steamed vegetables, grilled fish, salad, omelette, miso soup and rice. Compared to a typical western style breakfast, the Japanese breakfast has an excellent balance of fibre, protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates.

Small Serving Dishes

In addition, a typical Japanese meal is served in an assortment of small bowls, dishes, and plates that appear mismatched but are chosen to enhance each food served. Eating food out of different bowls slows down the meal and allows the diner to feel satisfied and full. 

Smaller Dessert Portions

Moreover, dessert in Japan is served in much smaller portions with a lot of the traditional desserts made from ingredients such as chestnut, pumpkin, sweet potato and fruit.

Daily Green Tea Consumption

Most Japanese drink green tea or matcha green tea every day which has been proven to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar and increases metabolism.

Daily Exercise

Japanese people are also slim because they do more daily exercise than their western counterparts. Most people walk to the train station, take the train to their work location, and then walk to their office or school; so there is a lot of daily exercise. In addition, most of the population own bikes and will ride them to school, to work, or to the grocery store every day. Furthermore, they will usually have books, satchels, groceries, or toddlers in tow.

What is interesting in Japan is that most people on bikes wear their regular clothes, namely school or work uniforms; a cyclist in spandex, helmet and cycling shoes is seldom seen unless he or she is a serious cyclist who belongs to a cycling club.