In Japan, life lessons in healthy eating
CBS News • • business
Key Points:
- Approximately 40% of U.S. adults are obese, whereas Japan's obesity rate is about one-tenth of that, partly due to higher daily physical activity like walking 10,000 steps in Tokyo where fewer people own cars.
- Tokyo-based Tanita Corporation promotes employee fitness by requiring monthly weigh-ins and tracking steps via company badges, with incentives tied to national health insurance costs, fostering a culture of health accountability uncommon in the U.S.
- The traditional Japanese diet, emphasizing rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables, along with the practice of hara hachi bu—eating until 80% full—contributes to overall health despite the availability of fast food and Western-style meals.
- Japan’s school lunch program, established post-World War II, provides nutritious, locally sourced meals with a strong focus on vegetables, supported by on-site nutritionists who aim to instill healthy eating habits in children from an early age.
- The school lunch experience is communal and structured, with all students and staff eating the same balanced meal, reinforcing lessons on nutrition and fostering lifelong healthy eating behaviors.
