Obesity alarms traditionally slim Japan

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- For those who think Japan is all fish and tofu, consider 10-year-old Sayaka Oyama's former diet: spaghetti and meat sauce for lunch, chocolates and cookies for a snack, rice balls for dinner and sandwiches at nighttime classes. Late at night, she would slurp down some quick noodles before going to bed.

The diet had a predictable outcome -- one that doctors are seeing more in Japan as the country leaves behind traditional food habits. At 9 years old, Sayaka stood 4 feet 2 inches and weighed 108 pounds, about 50 pounds over her ideal weight.

"I just love eating noodles. I get home tired from cram school, so I used to eat it all the time at night," explained the girl, who, like many Japanese children, takes evening classes to prepare for junior high entrance exams.

Sayaka is now trying to slim down in a sports program for overweight kids. She reflects a rise in obesity in Japan that is being blamed for diabetes and other health problems. Some fear the trend could one day jeopardize Japan's status as the home of the world's longest-living population.

Life expectancy is currently 86 for Japanese women and 79 for men.
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Sad but true about modern Japan. Even the portions are sneaking up in size...I went to Lotteria (the Asian equivalent to McD's) for some fries and was surprised to see that the small size is no longer in the flimsy 2D paper bag. It has since been replaced by a paper carton design which holds substantially more fries than the former paper bags.

Many of the children I have taught are a bit on the pudgy side. I do not blame it on them - they grew up during times of 24/7 convenience stores, ready-to-eat supermarket foods (saturated in sugar, hydrogenated oil fried foods, and preservatives)...and for the most part their parents are both working and can hardly find the time to make a decent meal. Though rising, with the economy down and all, more families are turning into double-income ones out of sheer neccessity.