Comments on: Japanese women getting thinner as American women become fatter

By: Boheme Chinois

Boheme Chinois — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:16:00 +0000

yeah, in other words japanese women are actually women. they also have careers and their own lives though, so it’s not “oppression” anymore.

american women are not women. they’re a different species.

By: Jean Ocelot

Jean Ocelot — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:05:00 +0000

I agree. In my current and former hamlets of Bogalusa & St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, USA, virtually every woman is fat.

By: Sanriohal

Sanriohal — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:39:00 +0000

私はアメリカ生まれのネイティブだと我々はぽっちゃり系の集まりではありません。私たちを一般化しないでください。私は5’5です”と私は16のBMIがあり、私は健康です。アメリカの食べ物は確かに健康的ではありません。

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:57:00 +0000

get used to it. competition is rough for american women when they’re abroad.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:55:00 +0000

eh, between fat american women and thin japanese women… i’d totally go on a date with american women… NOT!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:53:00 +0000

nah, it’s that Western women are mostly bitchy and unfeminine. Japanese girls kick Western girl ass by a long shot.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Japanese woman are there to look pretty and have children. American woman don’t have that pressure on them.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Japanese woman are there to look pretty and have children. American woman don’t have that pressure on them.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Japanese woman are there to look pretty and have children. American woman don’t have that pressure on them.

By: MissyKai

MissyKai — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:37:20 +0000

There are many American women who are not overweight, please dont stereotype.

By: mo om

mo om — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:03:58 +0000

Japanese women don’t exercise (at least the majority don’t). I live in Tokyo and go to a very large public gym…most women walk around, use the elliptical for 30 minutes (like they really need to burn more calories), they don’t lift weights because having any muscle would be absolutely unacceptable, and spend an hour reapplying their layers of product, push-up bras, and control tops. I also have japanese female friends who tell me they count their calories and save them for dessert. And tonight, I just watched my japanese roommate eat a cup of spaghetti and call it dinner. I have students who are rail thin, but are on a timed diet with just about everything striped because of their “health.” However, all I hear from the kids is that their mom tells them they’ll get fat if they eat just about anything (these kids have literally been on an IV because they’re not getting enough nutrients). Now tell me the japanese don’t have a misconception about being fat. On the opposite side, I’ve seen plenty of Japanese women as big or bigger than the women in that photo, times they are a changing.

By: kaylalorene

kaylalorene — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:29:41 +0000

As an American woman living in Japan, I regret to say this obsession with thinness here really gets to me. Just tonight, I was at a coworker’s wedding party and my boss asked me when it was my turn to get married. I told him I haven’t had a boyfriend in the 3 years I’ve been in Japan and he responds in all seriousness (ready for this…) “maybe its because you are a little bit too fat” I am a size 12 (american size-wise). No wonder there are eating disorders in this country. And this isn’t the first time I have received a comment about my weight. Its disheartening.

By: mercury 57

mercury 57 — Mon, 10 May 2010 03:16:15 +0000

Three reasons:
1)Japanese diet is rich in fish and vegetables.
2)Japanese culture places high premium on “thinness” in general.
3)Japanese are not deluged, and do not care for, over-processed foods — especially high-
fructose corn syrup sweeteners — more dangerous than heroin.

…Of course, American corporate culture has produced a nation of over-worked, underpaid,
brainwashed garbage-ingesting morons. And I say this as an American, and as one who
sees the world, especially the developing world, getting fatter by the hour, burger after
burger… China, for instance, has 200+ million officially fat people at this writing….

Enjoy Life,
Old Fat Guy

By: jalabi

jalabi — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:17:24 +0000

A book I have read which really explains what's wrong with American food product techniques, etc. is Food Rules by Michael Pollan. One of the rules he has is, "If it doesn't eventually rot, don't eat it." We all really should move away from insanely highly-processed "foods" and return to a much more natural diet. It's scary how much chemicals and hormones and whatnot is pumped into the things we eat.

By: jalabi

jalabi — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:12:13 +0000

I’ve been reading these comments and I just have to say that Carlos is a trip! “My wife is so thin she can jump through a Cheerio” LOLOLOL

Oh, and by the way, the BMI is inappropriate to be used as a measure of obesity. See:

NPR: “10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus, Junk Science”

By: Tamer

Tamer — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:58:02 +0000

feminism and political correctness that make women fat and ugly

By: schwelty

schwelty — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:20:52 +0000

Actually the body is kinda confused when fed HFCS. It doesn’t know what to do with it really so the signals to “stop eating” kinda goes on and off. Normal sugar does not do that.

By: schwelty

schwelty — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:04:00 +0000

I agree with Carlos. I tend to generalize too unfortunately. Most of the immature white men I’ve come across shun their own race and go towards the demure, submissive flower that is a Japanese woman. It’s all in their mind though, and it roots to a deeper problem. The deeper problem being that these guys are too afraid of approaching a woman who can actually speak for themselves. I’m not saying that a Japanese woman is not, I am merely sharing my experience of why white men have gone after the Japanese woman for so long. They’ll of course take a white woman if they acted the same way. But it’s less time consuming to go after a female race that’s already been suppressed for thousands of years.

By: schwelty

schwelty — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:48:06 +0000

I don’t know if you ever went to the doctor but according to your BMI (25.8), you’re overweight. And you said you were previously 40lbs more, making it 230lb? Well no wonder Japanese people were calling you fat, that’s obese.

By: Oram Plus

Oram Plus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:21:05 +0000

That picture is so funny. I have no doubt that what you say is correct James “Showing images of obese people “representing” America is shocking”, but the comparison still stands.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:48:46 +0000

You shouldn’t generalize like that. There is good and bad in every group. There are a lot and I mean, a lot of stuck up Japanese women too!

By: kanoe81

kanoe81 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:38:25 +0000

No kidding, if the only clothing sizes available are M and L (which translate to US XS and US S) there’s no wonder why women in Japan feel the pressure to fit into what’s “normal” to them.

You do gotta wonder though; if your feet don’t fit into the S-M-L shoe sizes (US ladies 5.5-7.5), there’s really nothing you can to do change your shoe size…

By: Karisu

Karisu — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:22:12 +0000

Cooking takes way too much work. I do not want to spend time doing something as boring and time consuming as cooking.

This is not sarcasm.

By: Karisu

Karisu — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:15:55 +0000

Sounds like where I live, only I’m in the northeast.

By: Karisu

Karisu — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:13:17 +0000

You’re not good at inferring peoples meaning or intent are you? You must be a joy to watch in real life social situations.

By: Kerensky97

Kerensky97 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:07:31 +0000

Yeah, not to mention that culturally just about every guiding principal we have causes problems. We think big and never give in.

Why eat 16oz of food when you can get 32oz for only 2 dollars more!
Ever compare recommended serving sizes to the average meal you get in a US restaurant. 1 serving of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards. Compare that to the Porterhouse Steak dinner at the local steakhouse.

And not only are we eating 3 times the recommended amount but we don’t like to have leftovers.
If you don’t eat it all the food wins; if our food can beat us the terrorists already won!

Supersized Triple Baconators, 2lb Hungryman TV dinners, Super Big Gulps that contain more High fructose Corn Syrup than 16 Hostess cupcakes. All while we sit on our couches living vicariously watching reality TV where people workout.

It’s not really a mystery why America has a weight problem.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:59:45 +0000

I thought beauty was subjective?

By: Buster

Buster — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:44:21 +0000

Another slapshot explaination based on perceived national traits would be, that Americans are just too weak willed and not disciplined enough to stay/become slim, while Japanese Women still preserve that Samurai Spirit something that enabled them to bomb pearl harbor.

By: マッサージ機

マッサージ機 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:46:32 +0000

正に自分が想像する典型的なアメリカ人一家だな。さらにクレジッ
トカードを何枚も所有していて、多額のローンを組んで作ったプー
ルが家にあれば完璧だ。要注意どころか是非招待して欲しい。彼ら
の言動一つ一つが笑いを誘って楽しめそうだ。

By: James Bong

James Bong — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:20 +0000

“In the United States, you see all these beautiful skinny people on television, and yet Americans keep getting fatter anyway,” said Sasaki, the public health expert at Tokyo University. “Why is that?”

Oh, TV is different from reality! America is a lie! What a dumbass.

Why do you think? The only thing the media loves more than showing sexy people, is showing shocking imagery. Showing images of obese people “representing” America is shocking (and shameful) to most Americans, and gets people to read on (or keep watching) and leads to ad revenue.

Is it that difficult?

By: currysuki~

currysuki~ — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:13:20 +0000

They worry about their weight when they are already skinny? That is probably why they are skinny moron. Fail.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:48:08 +0000

Some people have this notion that every thing that you eat in Japan is wholesome and safe, that is totally false! Japan is far from perfect.
Example, I prefer to buy strictly organic, especially in Japan. Ever go to the Supermarket and take a stroll through the produce aisle? All the apples, strawberries, Oranges, corn, carrots etc. are totally picture-perfect, same shape, size, not a blemish or scaring.
Fruit and Vegetables do NOT grow or look that perfect in real life.
So there are many foods in America that we should avoid and try not to eat because of basic overall health reasons, but what about the so-called foods that SHOULD be good for your body??
I rent about 15 meters of garden space and grow virtually all basic veggies and some fruit by myself, at least I know what is going into my body. People that that Japanese don’t use anything artificial whatsoever. I can assure you that none of the food is Kosher here and the people don’t ask, they just trust their local Supermarkets that the food they buy is guaranteed fresh.
What about the FDA? Do they come on a regular basis and do quality control checks on all the restaurants and food stalls?
I am just saying, if you want to criticize American eating habits(rightfully so)no problem, but to NOT closely analyze and scrutinize Japanese food and to take it face value is purely naive, ignorant and not to mention idiotic.

By: ponta

ponta — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:25:33 +0000

So they choose to eat excessively on individual decision in the knowledge that they would be fat like others in the group and as a result they are in conformity to the group?

By: duane

duane — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:26:53 +0000

there’s a bitterness towards them because most of them are stuck up bitches. I am not saying you are. you could be the small percentage of non bitches. besides why should a guy have to work hard to find a white girl who’s not a stuck up bitch when he can get a nice Japanese girl?

By: Harmony

Harmony — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:22:54 +0000

There are several contributing factors to our obesity problem in America. But, I’d like to touch on one aspect in particular. It’s true that most places have several food options open to people. However, you need to look at the life of working-class lower income families. For people who have little money and many working hours, it makes sense to spend your few spare dollars on a calorie-heavy food. If all you could eat for the day was food costing you two dollars or less, would you get a small salad or a hamburger? For those same people working 40 hours or more each week, it can be difficult finding the time and energy to work-out. Particularly if they are also raising a family.

Our children are also being introduced to sugars, fats and high-caloried foods very young in our school systems. Considering how many of our kids eat the lunches provided at school, you would hope the lunches would be planned with nutrition in mind.

By: dobokun

dobokun — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:44:37 +0000

god they took my comment on here the reason why Japanese aren’t fat i because they don’t drink American corn syrup sodas that are pure fat add.

By: George

George — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:46:32 +0000

Hey, no doubt. I don’t argue that individualism is the only cause. Certainly, all the things you say also seem correct.

By: RLZ

RLZ — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:20:38 +0000

Carlos,

California!? You kidding? I was talking more about places like Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, that sorta thing. Lower-Middle America.

By: chocochi

chocochi — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:02:28 +0000

France is the place to go.

By: chocochi

chocochi — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:01:58 +0000

Yes – remember the natto scandal?

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:11:35 +0000

“American soda is like pure fat” ? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Sugar is sugar dude. Same amount of carbohydrates and calories as HFCS. Both are unhealthy. How about drinking water instead of soda!!!

Oh p.s…. They DO sell cane sugar soda in stores in the U.S. !!

By: Carlos

Carlos — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:02:10 +0000

Agreed! Also it gives these crazy TV sponsors and marketers to come up with more schemes to push a lot of their silly products. “Eat a banana and you will lose weight, eat this jiggly jelly and you will lost weight.” 24 Hours of TV weight lose crap-designated for the already skinny women of this society to buy into the hype that they need to be skinnier.
Just like with these crazy cosmetic commercials false ads, these will fade too in obscurity one day hopefully.
But there is another side to this madness. While women in Japan are trying harder to look like a Communion wafer, kids in Japan(many of them)are putting on the pounds!
I am quite surprised to see what kids in this country eat for breakfast, hardly what I would call nutritious. Choco pan, donuts, white bread toast, curry, gross!
Japanese women on average have a much lower folic and fiber intake in their diets.
As I said before just because the Japanese on average eat better, doesn’t mean they have THE proper diet.
So

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:59:37 +0000

Our parents generation were more individualist than our generation. How about eating bigger portions, eating worse foods, and exercising less? No girl is happy with being fat and ugly. But losing weight is hard to do.

Also it’s politically incorrect nowadays to criticize someone for being a fat lazy slob, so it’s become socially acceptable for women to be “plus sized.”

By: helical

helical — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:54:58 +0000

Hirano Aya is the name you come up for as an example for celebrity?
I would like to respectfully remind you there’s more to Japan than anime and manga, and there’s more to the Western world than America…

By: James

James — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:21:04 +0000

Is 果糖ぶどう糖液糖　”regular sugar”?

By: dobokun

dobokun — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:53:59 +0000

It’s because of the food, duh! And Japanese soda does not contain corn syrup in any form? American soda is like pure fat. reg sugar is better. Ugh wishi I could import sugar soda and drinks to Alaska xD.

By: weirdo

weirdo — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:56:12 +0000

多分叩かれるけど、経験から言わせてもらうとそのコピペは大体あってるとしか言えん。皆って訳じゃないけど、デブはだいたいそんな感じ。サンクスギブンぐらいかな、料理するとこ見るのは・・・毎日まともな料理くってる白人家族なんて親がシェフの友達ぐらい、あとはインスタントや外食が多い。

By: nippojinm

nippojinm — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:40:39 +0000

Yes..
American = pizza,debu

FYI,here are typical stereotype image of American in japan．
>
まあ、アメリカ人のバーベキューへの思い入れは凄まじいものがあるからな。
海外赴任中に取引先のデブに、ディナー奢ったお礼に誘われて、嫌々行ってみたんだが、
まず肉が凄い。キロ単位で塊で買ってくる。手土産に持ってった肉をみて「それじゃ足りないよ、
貧乏人」という顔をする。ｴｺﾉﾐｯｸアニマルはいつまでも肉食には慣れないらしい、みたいな。
絶対、その肉4キロより、俺が買ってきた肉500gの方が高い。っつうか、それほぼ脂身じゃねえか。
で、デブが肉を切る。やたら切る。不良風のデブ娘とデブ息子もこのときばかりは親父を尊敬。
普段、目もあわせないらしいガキがダディクールとか言ってる。郷ひろみか？　畜生、氏ね。
鉄板も凄い、まず汚ねぇ。こげとかこびりついてる。　洗え。洗剤で洗え。つうか買い換えろ。
で、やたら焼く。焼いてデブ一家で食う。良い肉から食う。ゲストとかそんな概念一切ナシ。
ただただ、食う。デブが焼いて、デブがデブ家族に取り分ける。俺には回ってこない。畜生。
あらかた片付けた後、「どうした食ってないじゃないか？」などと、残った脂身を寄越す。畜生。
で、ﾃﾞﾌﾞ一家、5ｷﾛくらい肉を食った後に、みんなでﾀﾞｲｴｯﾄｺｰｸとｶﾛﾘｰｶｯﾄのビールを飲む。
「今日は僕も飲んじゃう」とかﾃﾞﾌﾞ息子が言う。おまえ、酒どころか絶対薬やってるだろ？
ﾃﾞﾌﾞ娘も「ああ、酔っちゃった、あなた素敵ね」とか言う。こっち見んな、殺すぞ。
デブ妻が「太っちゃったわね」とか言って、デブ夫が「ｶﾛﾘｰｾﾞﾛだから大丈夫さ」とか言う。
ｱﾒﾘｶﾝｼﾞｮｰｸの意味がわかんねえ。畜生、何がおかしいんだ、氏ね。

まあ、おまえら、アメリカ人にバーベキュー誘われたら、要注意ってこった。
>

By: George

George — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:20:46 +0000

I agree with this, and it seems like the first, most obvious explanation.

More individualism = less social pressure = less pressure to watch what you eat. It doesn’t seem controversial to me.

By: George

George — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:15:30 +0000

Again, this wouldn’t be a “celebration of individualism.”

Let me try to explain this in more detail:

Less Individualistic Person:
“If I eat this thing, I will stand out. Others will notice and judge me. I won’t fit in as well.”

More Individualistic Person:
“I don’t really care what others think about me. I’m going to eat this thing and enjoy myself, because my pleasure is more important than other people’s opinions about me.”

This is an extreme “thought” example. The real thoughts going through people’s heads would of course be varied and subtle. But, in aggregate, you could guess that it causes a difference in weight gain.

By: George

George — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:11:47 +0000

Thanks for the insightful comment.

By: George

George — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:11:27 +0000

No…the theory would be, they choose to eat what they want with less pressure to conform to the group.

By: returner

returner — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:55:22 +0000

>Of course I’d take a rather skinny girl over a huge fat western girl.

Since getting a skinny western girl is clearly aiming too high for most of you guys?

Yes, we do exist!!! I am one. I shop at the same clothing stores as Japanese girls and can comfortably fit into their clothes despite being taller than most of them. However, I am taken by a great Japanese guy, so I can’t say I would be interested in any of you hairy, sweaty white guys. (see how fun it is to generalize!) Seriously… what is with all the bitterness towards white girls? Got rejected too many times before you came to the land of easy girls or what?

By: Nova

Nova — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:29:15 +0000

Happy to heard that!

By: tokyojesusfist

tokyojesusfist — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:05:07 +0000

There is nothing good about being fat. It’s not some celebration of individualism.