Why are people so Healthy in Japan?

This is a sequel to my other video on the food environment in Japan titled "Why is it so easy to be thin in Japan?"
Having lived in America and now living in Japan, it's interesting to see how very different these two food environments are. I've seen comments on another one of my videos about low carb saying something like "Oh sure, you can lose weight on low carb, which is why all the rice eating Japanese people are so thin, right?"
So with this video (and maybe the last one), I'm hoping to show that the diet over here is more complex than just "high carb"

0:00 - Intro: America & Japan
0:42 - People walk more in Japan
1:35 - Portion sizes are smaller
2:30 - America and Soda
2:40 - Rice vs. Wheat
3:50 - Fermented foods keeping the gut healthy
5:14 - Meat consumption is balanced with Fish consumption
5:54 - Muscle meat and organ meat balance
7:57 - Green Tea
8:43 - School Lunches in Japan

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Featured Music:
Broke for Free - Playground Pigeon
Broke for Free - IF

For Business inquiries:

[江建国-pq]

“People in Japan eat a lot more food, rather than food-like products.” This might be a quote worth saving for the future.

[stoicfloor]

"It seems that people in Japan eat a lot more food rather than food like products."
Profound. Well-said.

[kikoslair]

this video called me fat in 47 languages and 23 fonts.

[cheers]

Imagine actually eating food instead of food flavored sugar.

[aishahshamsul]

I'd rather have healthier, more expensive foods rather than spending money on healthcare due to my diet.

[famousamos]

When I was in Japan, one thing I noticed is that most locals eat lots of fish.

[jennacampbell]

Man, I wish our American cafeterias were a little more similar to Japanese cafeterias.

[KreeZafi]

I'm Swedish, and when I've visited the US the food culture has been SHOCKING! Portion sizes are comically large. Sweet breakfasts seem quite common - pancakes of course, but even having DONUTS for breakfast isn't too out of the ordinary! Lots of, as you say, food-like items rather than just food. One smaller observation is that "juice" in the US is rarely actually juice (as in, the liquids you get from fruits) but more like squash/cordial/whatever you call sweet uncarbonated soft drinks. A few times I tried ordering orange juice with my breakfast to be a bit healthier, and let me tell you, they definitely did NOT just press some oranges into that glass, it was SO sweet! Everything has so, so much sugar and grease. And eating out or ordering takeaway seems so common, I literally heard home cooked meals being talked about as a luxury while for me that's the norm!

[boh]

Yes I live in Italy and when I eat a fruit everyone ask “are u on diet?” Just whyyy? Can I eat healthy?

[delloda]

Japan has strong food regulations like Europe. America's regulations are hampered by corporate lobbying (legalized bribery).

[machia]

My best friend is Japanese American. His parents ate a traditional Japanese diet.
I remember seeing rice and seaweed on their table everyday, lots of fish too. No processed foods. His Mom lived to 92, his Dad to 98.

[isexxx]

Me looking at the portions: “Wow, that’s a lot of food!”
Him: “The portions are smaller”
Me: ?.?

[liambrunner]

They eat less, eat better, and move more.

[kenzotakahashi]

Great video. As a Japanese guy who studied in U.S. college, I think the biggest difference is sugar consumption. Snacks in U.S. are way too sweet. Cookies and muffins are acceptable, but cupcakes? I can't believe they eat them.

[LuckyDuckie]

Quick real quick facts:
America - Processed food
Asia - Real food

[axem.]

Schools in America serve pizza, nuggets, fries etc as lunch to kids.

[Fsilone]

I need a gut microbe transplant from a confident person.

[SaborMetallico]

All of the Japanese food looks so appealing, delicious and healthy. It makes you want it, although most of us in the western countries (I'm German) are used to (highly) processed food.

So, that all the healthy food still appeals to me more than the processed stuff shows me again that we humans are originally programmed to want healthy, nutritious food!

Our brains have simply been "washed" by the food industry, which is kind of a crime in my opinion...

[Xanduur]

I have been to Japan many times. As simple an explanation as possible....Better quality food and people walks so MUCH more. I have counted the people where I work (over 400 people). Over 75% are fat and WELL over 50% are obese. It is pitiful. When I go to Japan the people I interact with are SO MUCH thinner!!! One month there and I lost 13 pounds. It is just a better culture for healthier living.

[Tofushoots]

Youtube getting real comfortable with these double ads.