Why are Koreans so slim? (from a Korean's perspective)

People in Korea are statistically one of the least overweight/obese people on the planet, and I'm here to give my opinion on why that may be.
Please don't watch this video if you're triggered by the topic of weight loss/body shaming! I just wanted to share with you all what the culture is like here in Korea...

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[anna.lee_jy]

Join me for a live with me + Danny at 11am KST on Wednesday! :)

[dougmiller]

After visitng the Korean countryside, I noticed no fast food, less bread, more fresh fruits like peaches, less sugary snacks. Also, the people were more active. Seeing a woman in her 70s perform hand stances in the park really was impressive, all her friends were cheering her on, so physical activity is increased. Elders climbing mountains was impressive too. Walking is a must and Korea has lots of steep hills.

[texasburbs]

I had a Korean exchange student for 9 months. She gained about 15 lbs. even though we tried to eat a lot of Korean food. Like you said, in the US we tend to eat a lot more unhealthy food and huge portion sizes. She lost the weight as soon as she was back in Korea and it isn't like she is starving herself, the girl can eat! It is just healthier.

[vanbeuthen]

Fun fact: I lost over 15 kg in my 2 months in Seoul just because of eating only Korean food like Gimbap there. I was quite (positive) shocked, because I just changed my eating style and not much more. Since I'm back home I mostly cook korean food, care more about sports and already lost 25 kg before my time there. Friends couldn't believe that because I'm like a new person. Awesome! :)

[Xiaxue]

Your observations are spot on. 100% correct. Personally, I don’t think the portions in Korea are that small but I find Korean food very filling and full of natural ingredients without the heaviness of butter, cream, etc. When I lived there, one day a school girl was going home and said she was so excited. I asked why and she replied that she was going to eat an orange! I cannot imagine an American child being as thrilled to go home because there were oranges there.

[ubiquitousinfluence]

loved that she got straight to the point instead of an annoying little intro in the beginning. idk why youtubers think we have endless hours in the day to be listening to their little rambles at the start of every video. anyway this was very informative so thank u ma'am

[thejojojo]

When I lived in Korea, I witnessed professional people walking sooo much. It was sooo hard for me to keep up with tje Koreans bc I drove everywhere in the states. I imagine that the average working Korean walks 3 to 5 miles a day just walking up and down the stairs to go through the subway, and to go to work. Now that I have returned to the US, I do the same. I walk everywhere and that is my "gym" time. Picking up that lifestyle has been a wonderful change in my life.

[eunsihae]

I eat MUCH more when I visit Korea, yet bec of the walking, dragging luggage, climbing hills & stairs.. i always come home lighter than when i just arrived. The unintentional "exercise" is what affects my weight and calorie intake. totally agree with you, Anna. I've visited at least 5x, and each time has been the case with weight loss.

[jasminekim]

it’s not just diet and healthy food culture, but HUGE social pressure. I now live in California and people consider me skinny and fit, (i do love active lifestyle and delicious “real” food) and I have almost zero pressure on my weight. but back in Korea growing up I constantly heard (almost weekly basis) to “lose weight” “you are big” “why did you gain weight” “you better lose that extra puffiness” from acquaintances, friends family and even strangers. Not just weight but same for skin and just general appearance. Idk why Koreans care SO MUCH about it. yes it matters but only to the extent you are taking good care of yourself. Honestly I cannot be happier now that I left Korean living in Cali as a young woman just having less pressure in my daily life about appearances. Now I have way less stress and pressure on that part.
The main difference I felt is Koreans think “smaller” is prettier and that’s something you “should” strive to get it, no matter what you do. But here at least in Cali, it’s about you “look” healthy than just being small. And it matters if you use your physical body as your job, but if your job is mainly using brainpower, who cares?

[Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

I changed my diet when I married into a Korean family. There was no drastic change in my weight because I come from another slim country, France. But the Korean diet still worked wonders for my health. Rice repaced bread. My intake of vegetables went way up. I don't kow why western countries can't figure out yummy vegetable dishes. The variety and flavor of the vegetable side dishes on a Korean table is out of this world. The fresh produce section at a Korean grocery store is glorious. I used to have a lot of digestive issues in my youth and early adulthood. That's gone. My intake of dairy went down (also partly because having immigrated to the US, I can't find good, affordable cheese anymore).

[Dazarabia]

I livedd in Korea for 7 years, I ate only Korean food and I slimmed down without trying from 63 kilos to 53 kilos. I ate 3 meals a day and my diet was heavenly

[gillianomeagher]

Every Korean and Chinese female friend I have is utterly obsessed with their weight. Their families will constantly point out they are bloated or have put on weight (like, a kilo!) and the fat shaming is extreme. Young women's weight is way more monitored by family, friends, lovers, and society in general. Being slim/physical appearance is included in competitive conservative culture, like income etc.

[yamayuki]

Simple, Short, On point, Just as I needed. I like this video, thanks alot

[DeathfireD]

When I visited Korea for a week, I came back home 10lbs lighter. Between the walking every day and how meals are broken up into side dishes instead of one large plate, really makes a huge difference. The quality of the food is also a lot better. Not a lot of added ingredients or chemicals compared to American foods.

[RiRi-Riah]

A weird thing about certain places in the US is that a lot of people will shame others for healthy habits. I live in Florida, if you see someone walking to a grocery store or using public transportation people will look down on them because they think youre poor. Having a car is a status symbol in a lot of places in the US. If you eat healthy out a restaurant with friends people will sometimes look at you weird for having a salad or choosing veggies instead of fries. You look like youre trying to be better than everyone else when you choose to eat healthy or say no to dessert. 99% of my friends are like this, it sucks because it does not make you want to live healthy, it makes you want to live like the people around you so you don’t get judged :-/ i’m 26 by the way i’m not sure if older Americans experience the same thing.

[bnmimiever]

Wow. Thanks so much. This is a great video. It explains the topic so well. It makes so much sense. You are the best.

[aaiscya]

Not only are you intelligent, bubbly and fun…you’re honest! I think this is what I appreciate the most about your input! Keep being transparent and your awesome self👏🏾

[Chili.]

As a bodybuilder, I rarely ever eat fast food and am on top of my diet 99% of the time, however, In my short time living in Korea I found it was so easy to stay lean with how walkable everything is and how much better the quality of food is, even the fast food.

[zxmjhm]

i'm originally from America and been living in Seoul for a year and a half now and wow, this video totally hits the nail on the head about everything I've observed here and also stuff I've really been trying to figure out about the average body weight here. because as someone who never lived in places with great Korean food, there's such an abundance of amazing Korean (and non-Korean) food here that you can easily go overboard with due to delivery convenience (chicken, pizza, dakgalbi, budae jjigae, etc.) and I certainly gained weight while I've been living here. but i realized that it was about the actual amounts people are used to eating that makes the difference. basically the average "stomach size" tends to be smaller. that and the abundance of diet culture, and all the other reasons you mentioned. anyways I've learned to enjoy these things in balanced way now. i'm basically just gonna send this video to anyone asking me this very question in the future 😂

[juliethompson]

I teach English in Korea. I did an English cooking camp this week where we made Rice Crispy Treats. They were excited to eat it, but also nervous. When I was explaining to students that we butter the pan before we put the treats in, they got really worried. My students said the word "calories" 15 times. They are 3rd and 4th grade kids. My co-teacher finally got them to quiet down when he explained why the butter was necessary.

We also explained to the students, multiple times. This is not a treat that you eat alone. This is a treat you share. You can keep this treat in the refrigerator for many days. You don't eat it all at once.

I think Koreans are aware of the health benefits of food from a much younger age too.