Turning Japanese

A study at Osaka University has concluded that people who eat quickly and until they feel full are much more likely to be overweight or obese. This comes from Japan, a country that has one of the lowest obesity rates in the developed world. Japan's obesity rate is around 3% to the USA's 30%. They are doing something better than we are and some of it is diet, some of it is custom.

Aside from eating lots of fish and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cabbage), there is a Japanese custom embodied in the phrase "hara hachi bunme". It means "eat until 80% full". I've lived in Japan and it really seems like everyone there is thin.

From MSN Health & Fitness -

"Until recently, most adults didn't have the opportunity to consume enough energy to enable the body to store fat, according to background information in the study. But eating behaviors have changed due to increased availability of inexpensive food in larger portions, fast food, fewer families eating together, and eating while distracted (such as watching TV)."

I grew up having dinner with my parents and three brothers. I don't know how a family spends time together and family members know what's going on in every one else's life if not at dinner time. It's not going to happen sitting in front of the boob tube, that's for sure.

Come and Get It (and by "it", I mean communication, manners, nourishment, encouragement to try new things, better grades, saved money...)

Well, the author (a licensed dietician) doesn't propose how a family is to get over the many hurdles cited to scheduling family meals, but I don't remember that being an issue when I was growing up. We did eat later than most families (around 7:30, usually), but other than dinner time, when would a family even have a chance to learn what is going on in everyone's life? It certainly won't happen sitting in front of the boob tube together. According to A.C. Nielsen Co., Americans watch an average of 4 hours of television per day. How can the average American complain about not having enough time? After earning the money to pay for the meal, what could possibly be more important than spending time with one's family?

Read the list of benefits to a family that eats dinner together on SparkPeople.