The Japanese eat rice regularly but don't gain weight: 5 habits to learn.
Japanese families typically eat rice two to three times a day, yet they have a very low obesity rate compared to other developed countries.
An American expatriate lived with a Japanese family for a year. He observed the eating habits and lifestyle that help the Japanese maintain a healthy weight, avoiding obesity which affects more than 30% of the American population. Below is his sharing.World Day:
Eat rice three times a day, but in moderate amounts.
My host family eats rice three times a day, but in reasonable amounts. A bowl of Japanese rice contains about 140g of rice, equivalent to 200 calories. Rice-based dishes like onigiri (rice balls) also don't exceed 175 calories each.
Eat miso soup, the broth is clear.
Most days, we eat miso soup or clear broth. One study showed that eating a clear broth like miso at the beginning of a meal can help reduce total calorie intake by 20%. This habit alone means you tend to eat 20% fewer calories in 2-3 meals, 7 days a week. That really matters.
No snacking.
During our time in Japan, we never saw anyone snacking between meals. There was virtually no snacking. Eating while walking or in public was taboo. However, in the US, 20% of a household's food budget goes to snacks. Soft drinks alone account for 7 to 9% of an American's food budget.
Walking, sitting on the floor
Japanese people walk more than Americans. That's a very important factor. Where I live, everyone walks or cycles. Even sitting on a tatami mat engages more muscles than sitting in an armchair. In the traditional house where I live, there are no chairs or sofas to sit on.
No food waste.
In Japan, from a very young age, people learn to be grateful for food and not waste it. They never leave a single grain of rice in their bowl, not wasting even the smallest crumb. Asking for another bowl of rice and not finishing it is considered very bad.
As a result, despite their Westernized diet, the Japanese still have the slimmest physiques among developed countries. Only 3.6% of the Japanese population is obese (BMI > 30) compared to 32% of Americans. Clearly, rice is not the culprit behind obesity.
