(American that has been living in Japan for a number of years here.) There are a few factors that make Japanese people skinnier on average: 1. Genetics (compa

(American that has been living in Japan for a number of years here.) There are a few factors that make Japanese people skinnier on average: 1. Genetics (compared to westerners, not to Hawaiians like the article said) 2. A culture of fat shaming. My brother in law often pinches my belly publicly whenever he sees I gained a few pounds. Others enforce this through other means: calling out your friends, creating social pressure, your doctor pointing out you gained a pound. 3. Diet, in the sense of diet, not cuisine. People very much watch what they eat. It’s easy nowadays to eat super high calorie foods (rice, ramen, etc.), but most people either don’t eat these every day, or eat in small portions. There is also less fat and sugar than the US, offset by more salt. 4. Small portions. Portions are generally like 2x less than what you’d find in the US. 5. Exercise is built-in, at least in the cities. In big cities (not just Tokyo) people use public transportation, go out for lunch, walk to the grocery store. If you don’t drive, you exercise.