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Why Is the Obesity Rate So Low in Japan and High in the U.S.? Some Possible Economic Explanations
Abstract
More than one billion adults are overweight worldwide, and more than 300 million of them clinically obese, raising the risk of many serious diseases. Only 3.6 percent of Japanese have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, which is the international standard for obesity, whereas 32.0 percent of Americans do. A total of 66.5 percent of Americans have a BMI over 25, making them overweight, but only 24.7 percent of Japanese. This paper examines the reasons Japan has one of the lowest rates of obesity in the world and the United States one of the highest, giving particular attention to underlying economic factors that might be influenced by policy changes. The average person in Japan consumes over 200 fewer calories per day than the average American. Food prices are substantially higher in Japan, but the traditional Japanese dietary habits, although changing, are also healthier. The Japanese are also far more physically active than Americans, but not because they do more planned physical exercise. They walk more as part of their daily lives. They walk more because the cost of driving an automobile is far higher in Japan, whereas public transportation is typically very convenient, but normally requires more walking than the use of a car. In terms of policy solutions, economic incentives could be structured to encourage Americans to drive less and use public transportation more, which would typically also mean walking more.
... Evidence shows that the general Japanese population have higher physical activity levels than do Westerners (10,11) due to their superior daily walking habits and not to differences in gym or planned physical activities. (11) Approximately 70% of the general Japanese population do not regularly engage in any physical activity, including exercise, during their leisure time. ...
... Evidence shows that the general Japanese population have higher physical activity levels than do Westerners (10,11) due to their superior daily walking habits and not to differences in gym or planned physical activities. (11) Approximately 70% of the general Japanese population do not regularly engage in any physical activity, including exercise, during their leisure time. (7) Thus, the Japanese guidelines recommend that the general population engage in ≥60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week aside from the physical activities necessary for daily living. ...
... One such difference is the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 ) among females in Japan (22.3%) (7) and the US (66.9%), (16) which may be due to differences in physical activity. (11) Another difference is car usage rates for commuting between Japan (44.3%) (17) and the US (76.3%), (18) which has been associated with physical activity. (11,19,20) However, even in Japan, people in rural areas tend to move more cars than those in urban areas. ...
Purpose
Physical activity after breast cancer diagnosis has been associated with lower mortality rates. However, the physical activity levels of breast cancer survivors in Japan remain unclear.
Methods
A population-based sampling method was used to select 52 facilities throughout Japan. Thereafter, self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 30 consecutive breast cancer survivors without recurrence or metastasis at each facility. We then determined their background information, physical activity levels using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, and potential factors affecting physical activity.
Results
We ultimately analyzed 791 (77.5%) patients from 34 (65.4%) facilities. Among them, 50.5% satisfied the physical activity recommendations by the American Society of Clinical Oncology/American Cancer Society guidelines, whereas 61.8% were not physically active at all during their leisure time. Moreover, 37.7% engaged in regular exercise, among whom 68.0% satisfied the recommended activity level. Factors associated with satisfying guideline recommendations were higher self-efficacy [odds ratio (OR) per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.29–1.94], stronger perceived social support (OR per 1SD increase, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.26–1.89), lower household annual income (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.07–2.33), experience of any cancer-related symptom relief through physical activity (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.13–2.94), and urban location (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03–2.20).
Conclusions
Physical activity levels of breast cancer survivors can be certainly be improved. There is need to encourage physical activity and disseminate appropriate information and support regarding the same throughout Japan, focusing particularly on self-efficacy and social support.
... weight are problems not only in developed countries but also in developing countries that face chronic hunger [4]. ...
... Obesity with overweight is associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and stroke, muscular skeletal problems, osteoarthritis, and many forms of cancer [1][2][3][4][5]. ...
... These facts highlight the importance of developing appropriate anthropometric measures for obesity to identify and prevent the development of obesity-related disorders [2,5]. Body mass index (BMI) has been recommended by the WHO to classify body weight (BW); the cut-off points for overweight and obesity are ≥25 and ≥30 kg/m 2 , respectively [1][2][3][4]. BMI is determined by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. However, the use of the recommended BMI cut-off points for Asian populations has been widely debated by the International Association for the Study of Obesity, the International Obesity Task Force, and the WHO; hence, the WHO has proposed the BMI cut-off points of 23.0-24.9 and ≥25 kg/m 2 for overweight and obesity in Asian adults, respectively [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. ...
... It is noteworthy that in Japan there is no national guidance regarding physical activity for 6 -17-year-old (Active Healthy Kids Japan, 2018). Nevertheless, not only does the amount of physical activity received through walking to school meet recommendations of the Japan Sports Association, but it is also a convenient and affordable mode of transport (Takenaka, 2010;Senauer & Gemma, 2006). ...
... Japanese people do not find cars practical, excluding for longer journeys (Itoh, 2008). Its maintenance and operation cost exceeds the usefulness of the engine, when public transport is so efficient (Senauer & Gemma, 2006). Instead, most people tend to choose public transport, which is highly efficient and is one of the best in the world according to The Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 (figure 4) (Benson, 2015). ...
... Additionally, in most of the cases, it would involve walking, as it does not take people from door to door (Senauer & Gemma, 2006). It is cheaper and faster than taxi services (ibid.). ...
The project entailed an investigation into the childhood obesity crisis with a focus on physical activity in the open space. It used a comparative case study of England and Japan to explore the origins, challenges, and opportunities in the topic. It discovered the correlation of urban environmental attributes and children's physical behavior regarding them in both countries. As a conclusion, the study has proposed a possibility of integration of the Japanese built environment elements in England with the purpose to increase physical activity in cities and tackle early year's obesity.
... Based on the items' and subscales' individual answers, the different health component scores PCS, MCS, and RCS were calculated for each individual [43][44][45]47]. There is a large body of evidence showing obesity as an important outcome of a poor health condition and relating the effects of the residential environment to people's obesity [19,37,38,[48][49][50]. By using the body mass index as a key indicator, clear associations between obesity and population density and other environmental features have been demonstrated [38,48,50]. ...
... There is a large body of evidence showing obesity as an important outcome of a poor health condition and relating the effects of the residential environment to people's obesity [19,37,38,[48][49][50]. By using the body mass index as a key indicator, clear associations between obesity and population density and other environmental features have been demonstrated [38,48,50]. Despite the relative prevalence of studies focusing on the physical dimensions of health, a growing body of literature is making associations between the urban environment and health in its mental and social dimensions [31,51,52]. ...
... However, it may not be the case in other countries. In Japan, clear associations between obesity, population density, and other environment features could not be clearly found in this study and other studies [48]. The health-related QOL approach can overcome the shortcomings of the BMI and provides more useful insights into policy making in the areas of urban design and planning in Japan. ...
This paper aims to clarify how the residential environment is associated with overall health-related quality of life (QOL) via active travel (walking and cycling), by reflecting the influence of different trip purposes in Japan. The health-related QOL includes physical, mental, and social dimensions. For this study we implemented a questionnaire survey in 20 cities in Japan in 2010 and obtained valid answers from 1202 respondents. The residential environment is defined in terms of distances to and densities of different daily facilities extracted from both the survey and external GIS data. We found that the effects of residential environment on active travel behavior are mixed and limited, depending on types of trip makers. Unexpectedly, travel behavior has no direct effects on the health-related QOL. The residential environment, which is only observed indirectly via lifestyle habits for commuters, has limited effects on health. As for noncommuters, neither their travel behavior nor the residential environment influences their health-related QOL.
... But many studies have found that active mobility like walking can indeed not only help prevent weight gain but also reduce obesity. Senauer and Gemma [21] conducted a study comparing psychical activity of Japanese and Americans. A high percentage (67%) of Americans were classified as obese compared to only 25% of Japanese. ...
... It was attributed to Japanese people engaging more in active mobility. Senauer and Gemma [21] found that Americans used their vehicles to a much greater degree than Japanese people and suggested that the American government should encourage the public to walk more and use their cars less. Furthermore, Harvard Medical School [9] found that walking briskly for around 1 hour per day reduces the effect of these obesity-promoting genes by 50%. ...
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and recent advancements in Computer Science can serve as a catalyst for promoting sustainable means of transport. Through ICT applications, active mobility can be promoted and established as a viable transport mode. This can be achieved by providing relevant information for fostering social capital and promoting physical activity, thus contributing to a higher quality of life. Further, active mobility can greatly contribute to reducing air pollution and improving health status. For this purpose, the implementation of a Smart Pedestrian Network (SPN) information system is proposed. Such an implementation requires the collaboration of various stakeholders including the public, local authorities and local businesses. To convince stake-holders of the viability of implementing SPN, the benefits of active mobility should be clear. This paper proposes a framework to quantify active mobility benefits so that stake-holders can assess the investment that can be realized from implementing SPN. The proposed framework makes use of quantifying benefits in various market conditions. The benefits are shown to be significant and very much in favor of investing in technology and implementing the envisioned SPN system.
... The prevalence of obesity increased more than three times in men and more than twice in women in the last four decades [1]. This is worrisome as obesity is recognized as an important cardio-metabolic risk factor [3]. Generally, obesity is believed to be less common in Asian countries than in the United States (U.S.) [4], possibly as a consequence of a healthier diet [5]. Asian subjects with metabolic syndrome or DM show modest increases in waist circumference and weight, but this is reportedly less than that observed in the U.S. [6]. ...
... U.S. diet derives approximately 33% of calories from fat [24] whereas fat intake represents approximately 26% of total calories in Japan [25]. Physical activity also differs in Japan compared to the U.S., as many in Japan use trains and buses and have been shown to have a higher level of physical activity [5]. Consistent with this, the prevalence of obesity is significantly higher in the U.S. than in Japan [23]. ...
Obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia. Here, we evaluated whether the same body mass index (BMI) for the U.S. population conferred similar metabolic risk in Japan. This was a cross-sectional analysis involving 90,047 Japanese adults (18–85 years) from St. Luke’s International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan and 14,734 adults from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected in the U.S. We compared the prevalence of hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia according to BMI in Japan and the U.S. The prevalence of hypertension, DM, and dyslipidemia were significantly higher in the U.S. than Japan, whereas the prevalence of hyperuricemia did not differ between countries. Higher BMI was an independent risk factor for hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia both in Japan and in the U.S. after adjusting for age, sex, smoking and drinking habits, chronic kidney disease, and other cardiovascular risk factors. The BMI cut-off above which the prevalence of these cardio-metabolic risk factors increased was significantly higher in the U.S. than in Japan (27 vs. 23 kg/m2 for hypertension, 29 vs. 23 kg/m2 for DM, 26 vs. 22 kg/m2 for dyslipidemia, and 27 vs. 23 kg/m2 for hyperuricemia). Higher BMI is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia both in Japan and U.S. The BMI cut-off above which the prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors increases is significantly lower in Japan than the U.S., suggesting that the same definition of overweight/obesity may not be similarly applicable in both countries.
... In addition to concerns about the length of questionnaires, cross-cultural appropriateness has been questioned for some measures. Previous research indicates that eating behaviours and patterns differ by race [9] and country [10]. Thus, eating behaviour questionnaires should consider cultural background. ...
... The HEBI-J only focused on ingestion of foods (actual eating behaviour) because of reduced items used to assess health promotion interventions. These findings suggest that healthy eating behaviour measures have a common factor structure, although the contents differ by culture and country [9,10]. Further research should examine the extent of the cross-cultural validity of the balance, pattern, and restriction structure. ...
Introduction:
The present study constructed a short form of the Healthy Eating Behavior Inventory suitable for use in the Japanese culture (HEBI-J) and confirmed the scale's preliminary reliability and validity.
Methods:
In Study 1, Japanese adults (N=75) completed a free-response questionnaire about healthy eating behaviours. Thematic analysis was used to identify three factors-balance, pattern, and restriction-associated with healthy eating behaviours and 12 items related to these healthy eating behaviours. In Study 2, Japanese office workers (N=784) completed two questionnaires regarding 12 items of healthy eating behaviours and the dietary stages of change.
Results:
Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model was appropriate (GFI=.94, AGFI=.90, CFI=.90, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.53). Reliability was confirmed by alpha coefficients and the Spearman-Brown formula. Concurrent validity was confirmed by the relationship between the healthy eating stages.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated the preliminary reliability and validity of the HEBI-J.
... East Asia has thus far been the exception to the global rule. Senauer and Masahiko (2006) provide extended discussion and analysis of Japan, and note that a traditional culture of the slow and social eating of a healthy diet has helped prevent obesity. But even in Japan and South Korea, the slimmest of OECD countries at present, obesity is increasing (World Obesity Federation, 2023). ...
Obesity is increasing around the world, with lower income individuals showing more obesity than wealthier ones in high income countries, where they live in more obesogenic environments. Bariatric surgery is trending as a method of inducing weight loss in high income countries; pills are popular but ineffective. As an OECD country, New Zealand has higher levels of obesity among its less affluent, and this is especially prevalent among its Pasifika and Māori minorities. Both Te Whatu Ora (Ministry of Health) and Total Healthcare (THC, a large Primary Health Organisation) were concerned with obesity reaching epidemic proportions, and a lack of effective existing remedies. They worked together to put together a “unique and unsolicited proposal” to fund Brown Buttabean Motivation (BBM) to provide its 12 week From the Couch (FTC) lifestyle change and weight loss program more widely to a predominantly Māori and Pacific clientele in South Auckland. The formative evaluation reported here documents how THC and BBM worked together to provide FTC to over a hundred obese and overly obese clients (BMI>=30), providing weight loss and mental health gains (i.e. lower depressive symptoms) to the 57% who completed the program. THC nurses, doctors, and health coaches contributed to and supported delivery of FTC. Rigorous and timely evaluation rather than competitive tender was used for quality control. It was found that a supportive environment (no judgement) and peer-based education (accepting no excuses) motivated clients (average initial weight of 180 kg) through not only diet and exercise training, but also through social media where Facebook groups formed helpful communities that supported face-to-face work in the gym. We close with discussion of BBM’s principles for success, and how extensible this might be to other communities.
... Gut microbiota can fight obesity by modifying the energy balance and metabolic functions of the host [91]. Different types of microbiota have different roles in the body; some obesity potentiates, while others play a role against obesity [92]. Number, type, and microbiome composition are the most important factors to consider when choosing medication for obesity. ...
Functional foods with probiotics are safe and effective dietary supplements to improve overweight and obesity. Thus, altering the intestinal microflora may be an effective approach for controlling or preventing obesity. This review aims to summarize the experimental method used to study probiotics and obesity, and recent advances in probiotics against obesity. In particular, we focused on studies (in vitro and in vivo) that used probiotics to treat obesity and its associated comorbidities. Several in vitro and in vivo (animal and human clinical) studies conducted with different bacterial species/strains have reported that probiotics promote anti-obesity effects by suppressing the differentiation of pre-adipocytes through immune cell activation, maintaining the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, altering the intestinal microbiota composition, reducing the lipid profile, and regulating energy metabolism. Most studies on probiotics and obesity have shown that probiotics are responsible for a notable reduction in weight gain and body mass index. It also increases the levels of anti-inflammatory adipokines and decreases those of pro-inflammatory adipokines in the blood, which are responsible for the regulation of glucose and fatty acid breakdown. Furthermore, probiotics effectively increase insulin sensitivity and decrease systemic inflammation. Taken together, the intestinal microbiota profile found in overweight individuals can be modified by probiotic supplementation which can create a promising environment for weight loss along enhancing levels of adiponectin and decreasing leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β on human health.
... If you can control your weight, your blood sugar will improve, your need for medication will decrease, and your quality of life will improve. Less than 4 percent of Japanese have a BMI over 30, while 15 percent of Chinese have a BMI over 30 [14,15]. The huge gap in obesity data may also be the reason why Japan's diabetes mortality rate due to high BMI is lower than that in China. ...
The prevalence and mortality rate of diabetes shows an increasing trend globally, especially in Asia regions. From 1980 to 2014, the global prevalence rate increased from 4.7% to 8.5%, while the figure for South-East Asia Region surged from 4.1% to 8.6% in the same period, which ranked the second-high rate globally. As the neighboring countries, China and Japan share many similarities. The researchers found that although there are many differences in the prevalence of diabetes between the two countries, the overall prevalence is both in a high level. Therefore, we’ll collect the data about the regional differences between China and Japan, to compare and analyze the results reasons and solutions of two region’s differences. The prevalence rate and the mortality rate are different in different gender and ages in both countries. Normally males got the greater chances to get diabetes, while females are more likely to die in this disease. As the reacerch shows that the diabetes caused by three main factors, they are smoking, high body mass index and low physical activity respectively. And the high body mass is the dominant cause. As the latest research, the scientist found some new ways to help the diabetes patients. We might could use several solutions to them in later years.
... Turkey is also above the OECD average (OECD, 2017;Eroğlu and Koyuncu, 2018). Senauer and Gemma (2006) argue that the difference in obesity rates between the USA and Japan, two developed countries, is due to differences in food consumption, prices, dietary traditions, physical activity level, and the cost of immobility. When OECD and WHO statistics are combined, it is remarkable that obesity rates have begun to climb in all countries, regardless of economic level. ...
... However, in China and India, the obesity death rate has increased, catching-up to that of developed economies. But in Japan, (Senauer and Gemma 2006) obesity death rates have fallen and are now onequarter of the American and 50% of China's and India's ( Fig. 5 ). ...
Building on Tomer’s insights on the determinants of unhealthy eating and obesity, we extend the important price-based model of “rational” consumer choice with healthy living determinants such as food and exercise. We argue that variables such as the quality of information, information literacy, access to healthy foods, and safe and affordable space for exercise, the quality of exercise provision are key determinants of healthy living and, therefore, of the extent to which individuals are obese or overweight. Empirically, critical to reducing the extent of obesity to reducing consumption and/or adequate physical activity. We argue, contrary to Tomer, that as opposed to nudging consumers into behaving in particular a fashion to reduce obesity, it is best to improve individuals’ decision-making environments and capabilities.
... Furthermore, most of the evidence available on physical activity originates from Europe and the USA [1][2][3][4][5], and as far as we know, there have been no previous studies concerning Japanese BCSs. It is known that physique and lifestyle, including physical activity levels, differ between Japanese and Western populations [36], and there are also racial differences in the risk of developing breast cancer [37] and in the outcomes for breast cancer [38]. Therefore, further research involving Japanese BCSs is needed. ...
Purpose
A known barrier to getting breast cancer survivors (BCSs) to engage in habitual exercise is a lack of information on recommended physical activity levels provided to them by oncology care providers (OCPs). However, the actual situation in Japan remains unclear. This study sought to clarify OCPs’ awareness and practice related to Japan’s physical activity recommendation for BCSs and to ascertain barriers to routine information provision.
Methods
We conducted a web-based survey involving members of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS) and the Japanese Association of Cancer Rehabilitation between Dec. 2018 and Feb. 2019.
Results
Of 10,830 members, 1,029 (9.5%) responded. Only 19.1% were aware of the details of the JBCS physical activity recommendation, and only 21.2% routinely provided physical activity information to BCSs. Factors related to being aware of the recommendation details were 1) availability of the guidelines, 2) experience reading relevant parts of the guidelines, and 3) involvement in multidisciplinary team case meetings. Barriers to routine information provision were 1) absence of perceived work responsibility, 2) underestimation of survivors’ needs, 3) lack of resources, 4) lack of self-efficacy about the recommendation, and 5) poor knowledge of the recommendation.
Conclusions
Only one fifth of the OCPs routinely provided physical activity information. Barriers to provision were poor awareness, self-efficacy, and attitudes and unavailable resources. The physical activity recommendation needs to be disseminated to all OCPs and an information delivery system needs to be established for BCSs to receive appropriate information and support to promote their engagement in habitual physical activity.
... Prior studies have reported significant lifestyle differences between American and Japanese cohorts, including a healthier diet-lower fat consumption and higher omega-3 fatty acids-as well as increased physical activity across the lifespan among Japanese [7,20]. Diet is an important component of lifestyle and a potential mediator of cohort differences. ...
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects an increasing number of older adults worldwide. Cross-cultural comparisons can provide insight into how factors, including genetic, environmental, and lifestyle, may influence MetS prevalence. Metabolomics, which measures the biochemical products of cell processes, can be used to enhance a mechanistic understanding of how biological factors influence metabolic outcomes. In this study we examined associations between serum metabolite concentrations, representing a range of biochemical pathways and metabolic syndrome in two older adult cohorts: The Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study (TMCS) from Japan (n = 104) and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) from the United States (n = 146). We used logistic regression to model associations between MetS and metabolite concentrations. We found that metabolites from the phosphatidylcholines-acyl-alkyl, sphingomyelin, and hexose classes were significantly associated with MetS and risk factor outcomes in both cohorts. In BLSA, metabolites across all classes were uniquely associated with all outcomes. In TMCS, metabolites from the amino acid, biogenic amines, and free fatty acid classes were uniquely associated with MetS, and metabolites from the sphingomyelin class were uniquely associated with elevated triglycerides. The metabolites and metabolite classes we identified may be relevant for future studies exploring disease mechanisms and identifying novel precision therapy targets for individualized medicine.
... Overall prevalence of adult obesity in Japan is only 3.6% compared to 32.0% in America [48]. Senauer et al. reported that the average Japanese consumed 200 fewer calories as compared to the average American, had a healthier and more traditional dietary habit, and were also physically more active due to convenience and affordability of public transportation [49]. In our study, the Japanese cohort also stood out as having the highest proportion of male patients (52.1%) and the highest proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes (35.8%). ...
Purpose
Prevalence of obesity in Asia has been on the increasing trend, with corresponding increase in utilisation of bariatric surgery. The objective of this study was to examine differences in weight loss outcomes following bariatric surgery between Asian ethnicities.
Materials and Methods
A retrospective database review was conducted of patients undergoing primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between 2009 and 2013 in 14 centres from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Switzerland, and the USA. All patients with available follow-up data at 12 months and 36 months post-surgery were included in this study. Outcome measures used were percentage excess weight loss (%EWL) and percentage total weight loss (%TWL). Differences in outcomes between ethnicities were analysed after adjusting for age, gender, baseline body mass index (BMI), and presence of diabetes.
Results
The study population (n = 2150) consisted of 1122 Chinese, 187 Malays, 309 Indians, 67 Japanese, 259 Koreans, and 206 Caucasians. 67.1% were female and 32.9% were male. Mean age was 37.1 ± 11.2 years. Mean pre-operative BMI was 40.7 ± 8.1 kg/m². With the Caucasian population as reference, Japanese had the best %TWL (3.90, 95% CI 1.16–6.63, p < 0.05) and %EWL (18.55, 95% CI 10.33–26.77, p < 0.05) while the Malays had the worst outcomes. Both Chinese and Koreans had better %EWL but worse %TWL as compared to Caucasians and there were no significant differences with the Indian study group.
Conclusion
There are differences in weight loss outcomes following bariatric surgery between Asian ethnicities.
... However, the current study also found that there were many restrictions in range of measurement that cannot be avoided since the population between both countries had slight differences in terms of BMI especially in obesity class, where 44% of total respondents were obese by referring to Fig. 4. data extracted from the Survey. In Japan, only 3.6% had BMI more than 30 based on Senauer & Gemma (2006). "Malaysia is ranked sixth in the Asia Pacific region for obesity and tops the list in South-East Asia for both obesity and diabetes," stated Prof. Dr. Mohd Ismail Noor, the president of Malaysian Society for the Study of Obesity, during a press interview (Gan, 2014). ...
In composite manufacturing, hand layup is of the fabrication methods that is widely used. Composite is the basic material used in the manufacturing of products such as shipbuilding and the process requires manual handling. Currently, there is a significant number of absenteeism that due to low back pain, indicating that workers in manual composite manufacturing have problems related to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). The objective of this paper is to study the working posture and discomforts experienced by workers in layup process station. A preliminary survey is conducted on 45 workers to obtain their experience of discomforts while working. Survey results show that 83.33% of the workers experience discomforts on the lower back of the body. When rating their level of pain on the lower back on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), 41% of them rated 4 on the level pain. Pain and discomforts lead to lower productivity of workers. Consequently, this can jeopardise the quality of the products. At the layup station, this problem arises due to the design of current workspace and the posture of workers when executing the job tasks. Rapid Upper Limb Analysis in CATIA V5R20 software was used to calculate the RULA scores. All postures had scored more than 6 that need further investigation and immediate change. Ergonomically designed layup workstations and good education on proper working posture will be able to improve the workers’ health conditions on the future.
... However, the current study also found that there were many restrictions in range of measurement that cannot be avoided since the population between both countries had slight differences in terms of BMI especially in obesity class, where 44% of total respondents were obese by referring to Fig. 4. data extracted from the Survey. In Japan, only 3.6% had BMI more than 30 based on Senauer & Gemma (2006). "Malaysia is ranked sixth in the Asia Pacific region for obesity and tops the list in South-East Asia for both obesity and diabetes," stated Prof. Dr. Mohd Ismail Noor, the president of Malaysian Society for the Study of Obesity, during a press interview (Gan, 2014). ...
Low Back Pain (LBP) is one of the chronic diseases that have been correlated with musculoskeletal disorder or occupational disease when the process of manufacturing involves manual processes. Composite manufacturing especially requires skilled workers that can complete manual task primarily hand lay-up process in conjunction with composite fabrication methods. Lay-up process is one of the methods in fabricating composite. Mostly, parts of products using composite are enormous; such aircraft body, pools and ship body. This study aims to segregate potential respondents for ergonomics experimental specifically focusing on hand lay-up workers in a composite manufacturing facility. The study uses survey for 28 participants to identify the workers experience on the body discomfort while doing lay-up process activity. Out of sixteen activities in the lay-up process, results show that nine activities are suitable for postural analysis. However, for the preliminary study, only three selected postures which are the most frequent are analyzed. Rapid Upper Limb Analysis (RULA) in Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA) V521 software shows RULA score that is above than 5. Hence, the study recommended that the experimentation stage will cover on body parts in upper and lower back of workers. Thus, the respondents for the next step of the research is determined based on their (Body Mass Index) BMI and experience on body discomforts that were obtained from the surveys.
... A logical first step is to evaluate the size of the impact of past subsidies on obesity. Farm subsidies can affect the rate of obesity by changing the relative prices of commodities and retail foods, and hence, the composition of food consumption, but a range of studies have demonstrated that the magnitude of this effect is likely to be small in the United States (e.g., Alston et al. 2006;Senauer and Gemma 2006;Miller and Coble 2007;Beghin and Jensen 2008;Rickard et al. 2013). The basis for this finding is intuitively clear. ...
... A logical first step is to evaluate the size of the impact of past subsidies on obesity. Farm subsidies can affect the rate of obesity by changing the relative prices of commodities and retail foods, and hence, the composition of food consumption, but a range of studies have demonstrated that the magnitude of this effect is likely to be small in the United States (e.g., Alston et al. 2006;Senauer and Gemma 2006;Miller and Coble 2007;Beghin and Jensen 2008;Rickard et al. 2013). The basis for this finding is intuitively clear. ...
Obesity was first identified as an issue of significant public policy concern in the late 1990s, after which US obesity rates continued to grow. Now, more than one-third of adult Americans are obese or extremely obese while a further one-third or more are overweight; in addition, one-third of American children are at least overweight, and about one-sixth are obese. In this chapter we document the obesity status of the nation and its genesis over the past 50 years. We review various concepts and measures of obesity, including the conventional BMI and alternatives. Then, using the BMI, we review the patterns of US obesity for adults and children over time, disaggregated spatially and among various sociodemographic groups.
... A logical first step is to evaluate the size of the impact of past subsidies on obesity. Farm subsidies can affect the rate of obesity by changing the relative prices of commodities and retail foods, and hence, the composition of food consumption, but a range of studies have demonstrated that the magnitude of this effect is likely to be small in the United States (e.g., Alston et al. 2006;Senauer and Gemma 2006;Miller and Coble 2007;Beghin and Jensen 2008;Rickard et al. 2013). The basis for this finding is intuitively clear. ...
Agricultural R&D has contributed to obesity by making food more abundant and cheaper, and some commentators have proposed that the agricultural research portfolio could be tilted more in favor of healthy foods, and away from less-healthy foods. We review these ideas in principle, and present a review of prior work and new evidence on the effects of past research investments and on the likely costs of changing the R&D portfolio as a way of fighting obesity in the United States. Our analysis suggests that redirecting agricultural research priorities would be a generally ineffective and highly expensive way of fighting obesity.
... However, the current study also found that there were many restrictions in range of measurement that cannot be avoided since the population between both countries had slight differences in terms of BMI especially in obesity class, where 44% of total respondents were obese by referring to Fig. 4. data extracted from the Survey. In Japan, only 3.6% had BMI more than 30 based on Senauer & Gemma (2006). "Malaysia is ranked sixth in the Asia Pacific region for obesity and tops the list in South-East Asia for both obesity and diabetes," stated Prof. Dr. Mohd Ismail Noor, the president of Malaysian Society for the Study of Obesity, during a press interview (Gan, 2014). ...
In aerospace manufacturing, most of activities to products the airplane was made manually. It is because most of the panel dimension required the precision measurement. The statement from Safety and Health Officer, there are high number of Social Security Organization (SOCSO) claims due to low back pain which indicates the workers have a problem on musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). The serious MSD are higher percentage on the back pain. The processes which take place for producing a product of airplane was layup process. The study was conducted at a local aerospace manufacturing in which most of the workers are Malaysian. Layup process in particular departments consists of 30 blue collar workers in one shift and consists of male and female. The objective of this paper is to study the working posture and discomforts experience in layup process station. Sample size of the study was 30 respondents that were working on morning shift that works 8 hours on daily basis. The measurement of anthropometry of workers is measured by using traditional measurements and complying up to 101 anthropometry dimensions and clustered into three types of percentile range. Preliminary survey was also conducted to same respondents to get their discomforts experience while working at the layup process.
The chapter covers both the evolution of yearly average consumption, for the main food products and beverage, and the evolution of daily average food consumption expressed in calories and nutrients, per inhabitant. Also are presented and analyzed the evolutions of total expenditure of households, on main categories of households (employees, farmers, unemployed, pensioners), and grouped by number of component persons, in Romania compared to similar data from the EU28. Are highlighted the trends of percents of total consumption expenditure of households for ago-food products, non - alcoholic drinks and for beverages and tobacco, and the structure of total expenditure of households, by deciles. Starting from these are also analyzed correlations with total income of households, by main categories and by number of component persons. The analysis covers a period of 10 years and covers the years before the economic crisis, its impact and the characteristics of the post crisis on food and beverage consumption structure by main categories of households.
Anayasa'nın 2'nci maddesinde yer alan sosyal devlet ilkesi gereği devlet, ülke sınırları dâhilinde yaşayan toplumun refahını güçlendirmeye yönelik faaliyetlerde bulunmayı kendisine görev edinmiştir. Toplum sağlığının iyileştirilmesine yönelik faaliyetler de bu bağlamda değerlendirilmekte; başta ABD olmak üzere bazı ülkelerde bu amaca hizmet etmek üzere obezite vergisi uygulanmaktadır. Obezite vergisiyle aşırı kilo ve obeziteye yol açan gıda veya gıda içeriklerinin vergilendirilerek bu gıdaların üretim ve tüketimlerinin kısılması hedeflenmektedir. Bu yönüyle negatif dışsallıkların içselleştirilmesini sağlamakla birlikte devlete gelir sağlayıcı bir etkide ortaya çıkmaktadır. Söz konusu vergi Türkiye'de sağlık amacıyla uygulanmasa da ek gelir elde etmek amacıyla halen kısmen zararlı denilebilecek ürünler üzerine farklılaştırılmış nispi ve maktu vergilendirme ile uygulanmaktadır. Obeziteyle mücadele ile birlikte Türk Vergi Sistemi'nde obeziteye yönelik mükelleflerin yararına uygulamaların bilinmesi ve obeziteyle mücadelede verginin etkin bir araç olarak kullanılması önem taşımaktadır.
Les Japonais présentent un des taux d’obésité les plus bas parmi les pays de l’OCDE. Nous avons tenté de décrypter ce phénomène de résistance et d’en expliquer les mécanismes afin d’en tirer des enseignements bénéfiques à l’amélioration de la diététique Française. Première partie: Nous avons dressé un état des lieux de la situation de l’obésité au Japon tout en comparant la situation dans ce pays d’Asie avec celle que l’on connaît actuellement en France. Deuxième partie: Nous avons analysé les caractéristiques de la diététique Japonaise et son évolution à travers les siècles, notamment l’organisation des repas ainsi que les pratiques et habitudes alimentaires.Troisième partie: Nous présentons une analyse nutritionnelle du régime alimentaire de l’archipel et en expliquons les nombreux bienfaits.Conclusion: La diététique Nippone est le principal rempart contre l’obésité de la société Japonaise. Elle bénéficie d’un régime alimentaire particulier mais néanmoins équilibré, axé autour de la triade riz-poisson-légume. Les pratiques alimentaires Japonaises demeurent très saines et sont proches des recommandations diététiques actuelles.Cette étude via l’exemple du modèle Japonais permet de montrer que l’obésité n’est pas une fatalité de notre mode de vie moderne. Il existe des solutions qui consistent à innover en se réappropriant nos habitudes alimentaires et nutritionnelles.
Many commentators have speculated that agricultural policies have contributed to increased obesity rates in the United States, yet such claims are often made without any analysis of the complex links between real-world farm commodity support programs, prices and consumption of foods, and caloric intake. This article carefully studies the effects of US agricultural policies on prices and quantities of 10 agricultural commodities and nine food categories in the United States over time. Using a detailed multimarket model, we simulate the counterfactual removal of measures of support applied to US agricultural commodities in 1992, 1997, and 2002 and quantify the effects on US food consumption and caloric intake. To parameterize the simulations, we calculate three alternative measures of consumer support (the implicit consumer subsidy from policies that support producers) for the 10 agricultural commodities using information about government expenditures on agricultural commodities from various sources. Our results indicate that-holding all other policies constant-removing US subsidies on grains and oilseeds in the three periods would have caused caloric consumption to decrease minimally whereas removal of all US agricultural policies (including barriers against imports of sugar and dairy products) would have caused total caloric intake to increase. Our results also indicate that the influence of agricultural policies on caloric intake has diminished over time. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The article attempts to develop a general theory of the allocation of time in non-work activities. It sets out a basic theoretical analysis of choice that includes the cost of time on the same footing as the cost of market goods and treats various empirical implications of the theory. These include a new approach to changes in hours of work and leisure, the full integration of so-called productive consumption into economic analysis, a new analysis of the effect of income on the quantity and quality of commodities consumed, some suggestions on the measurement of productivity, an economic analysis of queues and a few others as well. The integration of production and consumption is at odds with the tendency for economists to separate them sharply, production occurring in firms and consumption in households. It should be pointed out, however, that in recent years economists increasingly recognize that a household is truly a small factory. It combines capital goods, raw materials and labor to clean, feed, procreate and otherwise produce useful commodities.
This paper analyzes the forces contributing to the worldwide long-run rise in obesity and the role of public interventions in affecting its continued growth. A growth in obesity in a population must result from the growth of calorie consumption outpacing the growth of physical activity. Yet historically in developed countries, obesity has grown with modest rises in calorie consumption and with a substantial increase in both exercise and dieting. We consider the economic incentives that give rise to the long-run growth in obesity by stimulating intake of calories at the same time as discouraging the expending of calories on physical activity, whether in work or leisure. We argue that technological change provides a natural interpretation of the long-run growth in obesity, that it predicts that the effect of income on obesity changes from positive to negative with economic development, and that it implies that technological change may not continue to raise weight. We discuss the positive and normative impacts of direct and indirect public interventions to reduce obesity.
There is an urgent need to increase the physical activity in the population. Small-scale success has been achieved in programs like Colorado on the Move (COM), an obesity prevention program using electronic pedometers.
To provide baseline information for COM, this first-ever statewide survey of walking was conducted with 1098 individuals. The weighted mean BMI was 25.3 +/- 0.18 kg x m(-2), and mean age was 44 +/- 0.42 yr of age. Subjects participated in a short telephone interview and then were sent a pedometer to wear for four consecutive days. A total of 742 of the 1098 subjects completed the pedometer phase.
The average adult in Colorado reported taking 6804 steps per day. About 33% reported taking fewer than 5000 steps per day, and only 16% reported taking 10,000 or more steps per day. Steps per day increased with other self-reported measures of physical activity (P = 0.0001) and decreased with self-reported inactivity (P = 0.0001). Significant determinants of steps per day included increasing age (negative, P = 0.001), marital status (positive for single status, P = 0.05), income (positive for incomes of dollar 25,000 to dollar 99,000, P = 0.003), and increasing BMI (negative for BMI > or = 30 kg x m(-2), P = 0.000). Obese individuals (BMI > or = 30 kg x m(-2)) walked about 2000 fewer steps per day than normal-weight individuals. These results provide the first population data on current walking levels, on how this relates to self-reported physical activity, and on determinants of walking. Results also provide a baseline level of walking for future evaluation of COM.
Increasing steps per day appears to be a good target to use in interventions to increase physical activity. Even in Colorado, one of the leanest states, very low levels of physical activity are seen in much of the population.
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