Did you know?
Asians don't get fat
There may be some exceptions
Ok, this video is on 10 reasons why Asians don't get fat
Now of course, there are Asians who are fat or chubby
Some might in fact be watching this video right now wondering
'Why have my Asian genes failed me?!'
So, yes, Asians don't get fat, it's a bit of a generalized statement or stereotype
but as a whole, there's definitely some truth to it
And we'll get into why that is in this video
If you look at this map, you can see the obesity rates of each country
The red to orange countries have very high obesity rates
25 to 40+% of the population is obese
With the U.S. as well as the Pacific Island nations topping the list
The blue to green countries have low obesity rates
About 0 to 10% of the population is obese
We know why many of the African countries come under this
Malnutrition and starvation is rampant
but if you look at the Asian countries, most of which have a much higher standard of living
what could be the reasons?
I should point out that as a whole in Asia, especially East Asia, obesity rates are increasing
and in some countries like China
it's starting to get quite worrying
So if we were to look at this map a decade or so ago
many of these Asian countries would have had an even lower obesity rate
Genetics is an obvious factor so I'm gonna leave that one off the list
but it's really not even that it's not necessarily because of one's genes
There are so many other factors and I'm gonna get into 10 of them right now
So, let's do this
1. Fish & Seafood
Asians eat a lot of seafood, they eat a lot of fish
They love fish!
No....
not what I meant
Aside from the protein and nutrients, the biggest benefit to eating fish, I'm sure you've heard
is the omega-3 fatty acids
Fish gives our body and brain the DHA and EPA it needs
EPA in particular has been shown to prevent obesity, or at least assist in weight loss
Studies from 'The American Journal of Nutrition' suggest that 1.5 to 2 grams daily of fish oil
can produce weight loss of a couple of pounds over a period of a month
Fish oil increases fat metabolism in the body and this enhances weight loss
Everywhere in the world, fish has always been part of man's diet, not just in Asia
but Asian culture, especially Japanese culture
has kept this part of their heritage alive better than most
2. Cooking Methods
Everything tastes better deep-fried
*Butter*
and it's popular world wide, including Asia
But I'm sure I don't need to mention how an excess of
oily deep-fried foods can affect your health and weight
If you compare Western and Asian eating habits, sure they both consume deep fried foods
but Asian countries vary their cooking methods a lot more
There's a lot less deep-frying and a lot more boiling, for example
Some of you may think, well that can't be true the Chinese food I eat is usually deep-fried
before, you know, being coated in some sort of a sweet sauce
Well, that's probably Chinese-American food you're used to
Chinese food in America, and in many other Western countries
is more skewed towards the deep-fried, simply because it sells better
Chinese food in China is a lot more varied
In fact, deep fried and battered foods hasn't really taken off there
Although, contrast this with Japan, a country with a great reputation for health and wellbeing
they have a lot of deep fried dishes, like tempura
tonkatsu
chicken karaage
that one's my favourite
It just goes to show that if you practice balance
you can still have the good stuff
3. Food Perception
How people see and experience food can be different depending on where you are
In America, for example, food is seen more as entertainment
There is a desire, there is joy and anticipation associated with eating
It's a pleasurable event
Not that it isn't in Asian countries, but it's a lot more toned down
usually
Eating has more of a practical feel, and in many cases
closer to being a chore rather than entertainment
That feeling of exhilaration associated with eating is much more a Western thing
"Then we sprinkle on four kinds of sugar..."
4. Portion Size
Another difference in eating habits is portion size
Asians eat smaller portions
Food is often served in small serving bowls and small plates
and this helps regulate how much is consumed in one sitting
And despite the smaller portions, often the case
there is a wider variety on offer, so there is more to choose from as well
Now if we take a look at America
"Yeah, could I get the double quarter pounder with cheese meal."
"Large or supersize?"
"I think I'm gonna have to go supersize!"
5. Leafy Greens
Asian portion size in general might be smaller
but their vegetable portion size is consistently larger
especially for leafy greens
Yeah in western society, you're always reminded that: "you have to eat your greens"
it's good for you and all that
but in Asia the difference is... they don't even need to be reminded
They don't even need to be coerced, it's just ingrained
And it doesn't hurt that Asian vegetable dishes are often packed with flavor and taste
I just spat at the camera
Contrast that with many Western vegetable dishes, and I'm sorry to say
they can be pretty bland
"Would you like some mixed vegetables?"
"Hell no"
*gasp*
6. Drink Habits
It is a common belief that drinking water, especially cold water, with your meal
is a habit that one should avoid
as it dilutes your digestive enzymes, your stomach acid
and makes it harder for your stomach to digest food
"You alright?"
Americans often drink cold water or sodas with their meals
not so much for Asian people however
Rather they drink green tea or other hot teas before or after a meal
Now, I should note that many experts say that this is greatly exaggerated
and that you can drink water, even cold water, with your meals
So, this can be quite confusing
But not everyone reacts the same way, and perhaps
minimizing or eliminating your drinks may lead to better digestion for some individuals
If you're someone who enjoys drinking water with your meals, that's ok too
there's research enough to support you in this practice
Either way, one thing's for certain, the Asian habit of drinking hot teas, green tea and such
as opposed to say Western teas, with their sugar and milk
is good for your digestion
It's loaded with antioxidants, lowers blood pressure levels
and can act as a metabolism booster
Quite effective in both the prevention and reduction of weight gain
7. Population Density
Now this one's not so obvious
Many Asian countries, well Asian cities, are densely populated
There are lots of people living in small houses or small apartments
and everything you need is often just round the corner
There's just a much shorter walking distance
Add to that many of these cities have extremely efficient and reliable transportation systems
leading one to possibly conclude
that many Asian people must exert LESS energy in their daily lives
than their Western counterparts where everything is just more spread out
So, surely this is one reason why Asians SHOULD be fatter
But, not quite
In actuality, Asian people in this circumstance may end up walking more
This is because with everything being in close proximity
they're more inclined to just walk to their destination
whereas in many Western countries, distances are often too great
so they end up taking some form of transportation, encouraging less physical exertion
"born to be wild"
8. Fermented Foods
So Asians consume more fermented foods
Such as miso, natto, tempeh, kimchi, kombucha
just to name a few
and this is not just good for your gut health
but helps reduce the overall inflammation in the body
And inflammation is a contributing factor to weight gain and obesity
Those probiotic pills that people take, they work the same way
Unfortunately in many Western countries, but not all
their food culture does not include much of any fermented foods
But times are changing, and people are more aware now of the positive affects
They are eating more fermented foods and for most people, it also tastes good
"Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans"
That one might take some getting used to
9. Snacks & Desserts
This one's quite simple
Asian snacks, healthy Western snacks....
nah
Asian snacks and desserts may be rice cakes
red beans, seaweed snacks
nuts, seeds
fruit, a lot of fruit
For Western snacks and desserts, you know cookies, chips
ice cream, sugary cakes
all that good stuff
but oh so bad for you
10. Prevention vs Treatment
When it comes to health, fitness and wellbeing
Asians practice prevention, while others practice treatment
If you deal with a problem before it even gets started, you don't need to treat it
With the Western approach, you have your antibiotics, antacids, NSAIDs
quick temporary remedies, that might actually hurt you in the long run
The Asian approach attempts to get to the root of the problem using
nutrition, healthy habits, prevention practices
There's meditation, martial arts and other calming daily rituals that clear your mind
all to strike a balance between, I guess, yin and yang
And yeah, some of these methods may be a bit hokey, or maybe not
but here I'm talking more about the general societal mindset
how they think and react to issues of wellness
'Health is not simply the absence of sickness'
So, prevention vs treatment, you don't need to lose the weight
if you're never fat
The Chinese might get a lot of things right when it comes to health and beauty
but I'm not so sure that's demonstrated in this video
Click on top to watch 5 Weird Chinese Beauty Trends on Social Media
or you can click the one below if you prefer something else
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