Japan Has Many Problems, But Obesity Isn’t One Of Them

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From Your Health Journal…..”I always promote great health stories I find on the International Business Times web site. Today’s article is called, Japan Has Many Problems, But Obesity Isn’t One Of Them. I encourage you to visit the IBT web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. This story starts by discussing how Japan has to deal with many issues, but obesity is not one of them. As of 2009, only about 3.5 percent of the Japanese population was classified as obese, versus rates as high as 30 percent or greater in the U.S. and elsewhere. Thanks to a relatively healthier Japanese diet and lifestyle, Japanese women and men live longer and healthier than everyone else on Earth. The Japanese live about five years longer than their counterparts in the U.S. and with far lower rates of disability and illness. Is there a lesson to be learned? Is it something other countries should reproduce, or could it be higher levels of stress? But, a very interesting article. Please visit the IBT site to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

Japan suffers from many trends that trouble the remainder of the developed world, including a falling birth rate, a rapidly aging population, rising health care costs for the elderly and a stagnating economy.

But happily, Japan isn’t burdened so much by one of the gravest health care crises sweeping across virtually all other wealthy nations: obesity.

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, as of 2009, only about 3.5 percent of the Japanese population was classified as obese, versus rates as high as 30 percent or greater in the U.S. and elsewhere.

But happily, Japan isn’t burdened so much by one of the gravest health care crises sweeping across virtually all other wealthy nations: obesity.

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, as of 2009, only about 3.5 percent of the Japanese population was classified as obese, versus rates as high as 30 percent or greater in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Indeed, if Japanese firms don’t cut the number of overweight employees by 25 percent by the year 2015, they may be required to pay more money into health care programs for the elderly.

Along with the aging population, health care costs are projected to double by 2020.

To read the full article…..Click here

– Thank you to Janny Jane of hotbasin for suggesting this article to Your Health Journal. If you have an article you would like mentioned here, please use the contact form above….