Food presentation in Japan is amazing, and I'm not just talking about in the restaurants. Here in Tokyo you can buy better food in the convenience stores than you can get in your average deli back home.
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| United Nations University Farmers Market |
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| Perfect present for White Day? (Japanese Valentines day for men) |
Its not just presentation though, its quality. I'm not sure what happens with the 'damaged' stuff but it certainly doesn't make it to the shelves. Given the Japanese penchant for efficiency, I imagine it makes it way to a cannery somewhere or maybe the huge variety of dried fruits they have.
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| Huge array of Mushrooms! Yay! |
This high food quality, low quantity consumption is in direct contrast to the USA, UK and Australia. Also in direct contrast are the obesity statistics. In the latest obesity rankings for the OECD USA (1st), UK (3rd) and Australia (6th) all rank in the top 10 with over 20% of the population considered Obese. Japan ranks last - 28th with only 3.5% considered obese. Eat better, eat less.
Statistics ourtesy of Nationmaster.com
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| The finished product, with some help from the local butcher |
4 comments:
Surely it isn't as simple as portion control, it has to also be related to what is eaten, how it's prepared and surely exercise has some impact. I would love to see some research that indicates why Japan has such a good obesity rating though. Especially compared to Aus as I would have thought we would have as much access to good quality food as the Japanese.
Perhaps the access is there in Australia but we are not actively making the right choices?
Rhian
I wonder what the sumo-wrestler adjusted statistic would be? :) From 3.5% down to 0.01%?
Lifestyle is most commonly attributed as the answer. Obesity levels have risen in conjunction with the industrialised era and the move to two income households, a lack of time and the prevalence of convenience food.
Whilst Australian (and maybe american) convenience food is highly processed with high levels of preservatives, salt and fat and arguably meat in general. Japanese convenience food is massively different.
I can walk into a convenience store (there is 1 literally on every city block) and buy a hand-made meal cooked that day by a chef for the same price or cheaper than a restaurant. In fact, its almost the only kind of ready-cooked meal available.
Typical meals consist of either noodles or rice, vegetables and a small portion of meat. Meat is never the main portion as it is in Australia.
I can definitely vouch that the food quality is not as good in Australia on as wide a basis as it is here. We might have some of the same quality food, but the Japanese eat our highest quality food almost every meal. Of course, you have to pay for it - 1 Garlic cost me 280 Yen or nearly $4.
Curiously, I don't think exercise figures highly as an extra-curicular activity. However, Tokyoites walk and ride as a mode of transport a lot more than Australians. Ever seen a mother of two kids riding them to school or the shops on a bicycle in Australia? (1 bicycle, 1 kiddy seat front and 1 at the back) Its a very common sight here.
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