Evil empire switches coral calcium, transfatty acids
Okinawa: formerly the home of the world's longest-lived people is now, thanks to a dominance of American-style fast food, officially the "fattest" place in Japan. The NYT (April 1, 2004) reports that "even though Okinawans rank as the second-shortest Japanese, averaging just below 1.56m, they now are the heaviest, averaging about 61kg." As compared to the rest of Japan, the Okinawans have most closely adopted the model of American life, including mall shopping, fast food and fuel-inefficient cars.
In response, the city government has launched the Maoist-sounding Great Citizens Campaign to Lose Three Kilograms for 2005. This includes publicly-funded weight-loss and nutrition classes, which the government maintains are necessary because Okinawans spend 60% more on bacon and 300% more on processed meats than the national average. Oh, and they eat 71% less sushi, too.
* joshua, 4/05/2004 01:35:51 AM
