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Published: April 24th 2008
The Goods
A typical Japanese school lunchSometimes you have to stop and look at the current state of things in the west, especially in regards to America, and wonder why such a large percent of our population are obscenely rotund. There are thousands of reasons that people point to but one of the easiest ways to fix the problem remains unchanged.
When you compare the average Japanese student to that of their American counterpart the difference is astounding. I can hear people back home muttering, “ohhh, it’s because they just eat rice, raw fish, and all of that”. And, yes, I’m sure this does help. However, most of the students I know here eat bread for breakfast, they drink milk at least once a day and they like pasta and pizza next to the rest of us. And a lot of their food isn’t as healthy as all of us think. Think about tempura, tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet), okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake/pizza like thing), yakiniku (bbq meat), and that the average Japanese persons love for mayonnaise means that the nasty stuff somehow manages to find its way into many a meal. These aren’t exactly what you would call healthy foods but they still eat them on a
Loving It
I sure am, too. regular basis and remain relatively fit and slim.
So why are they in such better shape than the average American student? Genes? Maybe but I don’t think so.
I think one of the biggest factors is that the Japanese school system actually cares for their student’s health and takes effective measures to keep their health in check. They exercise rigorously at least twice a day as part of the school curriculum and the famous Japanese kyushoku, or school lunch, is nothing but, amazing. When I compare what they eat to the average garbage that is passed off onto us as food in the American school system it enrages me. How can people allow the school cafeterias to serve deep-fried, greasy and unhealthy foods to the students? And whoever passed the law that allows soda and candy machines to be located on the school grounds is simply, mental.
The funny part is that it doesn’t even cost that much for the students to buy the meals here. I’m not sure if it is subsidized but each student pays less than $2 for a very nutritious, delicious and well prepared meal. They may be eating unhealthy food back home
Happy 1st Grader
He eats whatever you put on his plate; liver, fish, meat, carrots, broccoli, you name it. The little man. but at least this system guarantees that they are getting at least five nutritious and well-balanced meals a week. And any of the extra calories they may put on during the week are burned out through the vigorous PE classes at school. There is no doubt that the children in Japan are much healthier, livelier and better behaved than that of their American counterpart and I think that this is one of the major reasons why the discrepancy exists.
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steph
non-member comment
oiiiishiii!
i liked this entry - and i totally agree with you. i was eating with my 3 nen seiers the other day and marveling about their meal: salmon, rice and vegetables. i am not sure of a 8 year old in the states that would eat this. i think portions here help too. they eat absurdly unhealthy things in tiny tiny portions. seems they`re doing something right anyway.