Friday, April 03, 2009

Random Japanese Trivia - Diet

{This info from a book published in 1993. Kim can tell us if this is still true.}

  • Japanese children are taught about nutrition in school.
  • Children are taught to try to eat thirty different foods a day and to aim for 100 different foods a week. (My kids have been counting and they are doing well to get 10 - 15 a day).
  • Japanese live longer than any other people in the world.
  • Japan has the lowest rate of heart disease in the world.
  • Japanese eat a lot of rice, noodles, vegetables and fish.
  • Portions are smaller in Japan and in 1993 the average calories per day were 2,620 - Americans are listed as 3,546 calories a day.
  • From 1973 - 1993 Japanese men, on average, became 3 inches taller and 11 pounds heavier.....and the author was wondering what more years of westernized food would do....I should search for more current info. This is interesting.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

3 comments:

Kim said...

Did you know that Japanese are different physically from caucasians INSIDE too? Their intestines are much longer than causasians - reportedly to digest all that rice. Might check out that info too. If they live in the US for 3-4 generations, I was told by a Dr. friend, their bodies change to caucasian. Maybe that depends on if they eat an "american" diet or not. Hmmm.

Kim said...

Oh, and heart disease is low, but stomach cancer is HIGH! All the sodium and alcohol. Japanese eat ALOT of salt!

Anonymous said...

Sis:

According to the nutrition class I have been taking in connection with the D-classes...... it has to be the vegetables and fish. Am going to see how some fish oil pills will help me. YUCK!

l/p Mom T