Why are people in Asia slimmer on average than people in the USA?
I spent a lot of time in India. I did postgraduate training as a homeopath way back. The interesting thing was, the obese people I noticed were usually wealthy people. I could not believe the disparity I saw between the rick and the poor.
We see some of the same differences in the Western world. It’s incredible the difference in size between people in Texas or Louisianna and people in Tokyo.
However, more recently, we are starting to see an increase in obesity in Japan. This increase can be explained by the influx of junk food coming into Japan.
Further readings:
- Dieting Done Right
- Following A Diet: The Good And The Bad
- How Do Probiotics Impact Gut Bacteria
- Cooking Methods for Weight Loss
When I was a young guy a long time ago, the average life expectancy of the Japanese male was 77.9 years of age, which is the highest on earth. It’s not hard to see why. Rice, fish, seaweed, and vegetables are the cornerstones of the Japanese diet. When you eat like this, you end up lean and mean.
Traditionally in South Korea and Japan, people ate lots of seafood and rice and fresh and pickled vegetables. They didn’t have the burger joints and the home-delivered pizza.
In Asian culture, it is also more polite to have smaller portion sizes. Eating was more of a ritual than something you do while sitting in front of your computer.
I noticed the same in India. I saw people walk vast distances and eat small amounts of food. Some families I saw were just living basically on lentils and rice with a few tomatoes and onions thrown in, and that was about it.
What I’ve learned from my Asian experience is that the healthiest people usually have the smallest portion sizes and the highest quality food.
We don’t see that in the United States. We don’t see people with small portion sizes. Every time I eat in L.A., they put enough food on my plate to feed me and my wife and my child. There’s enough for three or four people there. So I usually am amazed at the mountains of food. Quantity, too much. Quality, not good.
When you add high stress to the low quality and overabundance of food in the U.S., you’re going to get massive problems with obesity.
You don’t need to be overweight if you live in the U.S. I’ve met many very slim people in the States as well. Often these people are more knowledgeable about health and make better dietary and lifestyle choices.
You can also choose to eat and live like someone in Asia, even if you’re living in the U.S.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28642059
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26458564
