I would say the relatively low consumption of beer helps. When we have guests over, we need some sake type of stuff, some whisky, and then some beer. Wine sometimes. I know many who just refuse beer here in Taiwan. When there’s a party in the US, lots and lots of beer usually does the trick. Okay, now I’m thirsty.
Poorly placed joke on my part, but you guys get it.
Dunno. If you consider the plastic in beverages, the yoga mat chemicals in bread, the deadly oils… I mean, those things have more hormone imbalance causing chemicals than high fructose corn syrup -which interestingly AFAIK is used in local ice cream, Fench fries and others well known culprits freely.
But then people here die of cancer like flies… and at a much younger age.
As I said before, Taiwanese are basically skinny fat, with all the health problems of heavier people plus osteoporosis. Exercise is anatema, and the goal is to be that 165cm, 46.5kg type.
One of my taiwanese friends who went to the ol country made fun of us because she said we were pretty until we gave birth to children. Then women ballooned up. It is basically hormone imbalance… and age.
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From years of astute observation I’ve noticed a lot of the fitter lookibg ladies eat very local foods, such as mifen,.mianxian, fantuan for breakfast and lunch. They also eat lu wei.
Definitely makes a big difference!
I was outside most of the day today, so I did of bit of unscientific observation. I’m afraid I just don’t see this. People are either normal-shaped, or fat. Roughly 70-80% are normal. The fat ones tend to be older people, which is to be expected in a way, with the occasional younger outlier; perhaps 10% of the total population.
Skinny-fat, specifically, I saw very few, and they were mostly men, not young girls. The defining characteristic of ‘skinny-fat’ is a spare tyre around the abdomen, or a floppy paunch (however small, it’ll be there). Without one of those two, you’re not skinny-fat; you’re just skinny.
The exercise aversion results in poor musculature, not really fatness per se; hence the knock-kneed girls or apple-shaped men with toothpick legs (Dilbert-shaped, basically). Having said that, I wouldn’t say Taiwanese people were more or less sedentary than (say) Americans.
I’ve noticed this in the UK. Most girls up to about 16, and boys up to about 20, look perfectly OK regardless of their diet. Once they hit their 20’s, they turn into pasty, flabby wrecks with terrible skin. Since this is men as well as women, it can’t be a childbirth thing - it’s more likely to be growth-related. When you’re a teenager you’re growing extremely rapidly. Your body can use all the calories you can throw at it. However, this growth ceases suddenly at about age 18, plus or minus. At that point, a junk-food diet has its adult result, ie., instant obesity.
I bought a car and got thinner because it’s so easy to drive from work to the gym and park in the underground parking. If I had to walk (because buses are non-existant in this part of Taoyuan district) it would take about 40mins and it’s always raining here too.
Also, my car allows me to bulk shop easily at Costco and meal prep is super easy now because I have 2-3 weeks of food in my fridge that I can cook.
I think it’s personal choice of people not to be healthy and do exercise. People are lazy and the world fucks them with cheap unhealthy convenient food. Last night I cooked and prepared food for like 2 hours including washing all the dishes etc. Making rice, juicing vegetables, cooking chicken and onions and mushrooms for my meals.
I was super tired last night, I did this from 8.30pm to 10.30pm but I know the health benefits I am going to get from it 
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This thread made me think of this cartoon:
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I do wonder if the aftercare has something to do with it. Women here do not tend to breastfeed, AFAIK. But they do take a lot of vitamins and weird soups and nutritious stuff. I also know a lot of them strap themselves in bandages and corsets, but I do not know if that has more to do with C-sections. BTW, the C-sections here look nothing like the ones over at the ol country, that leave tummies hanging like papayas slit in the middle. Anyways, mostly here by looking at a woman you do not know if she ever has given birth or not. hence, I dare say they stay in shape after birth a lot more.
I also blame Taiwanese husbands, who prefer to have their own tubes tied, hence sparing women the inconvenience of oral contraceptives/peril of another pregancy. Lots of worry free exercise hereby ensues. Kudos to responsible Taiwanese hubbies!
Bulimia?
That too. Got too many Taiwanese acquaintances that suffer from that.
Amen. I juice vegetables in the evening because I don’t have time in the mornings. I also do meal prep in glass containers and keep two days worth in the refrigerator and the other in the freezer. I don’t waste as much this way. Now, I just need to add exercise. I work long hours and enjoy my 8 hours of sleep. At 52, I have the metabolism of a mouse or perhaps a mosquito…
ok guys — there is this documentary from a year ago i guess -
it is worth watching it to better understand why SUGAR is worst than any other drug available on the market ( even worst than cigarette and alcohol which are not drugs ( i mean, not drugs for our government— this boys need money))
In fact, even the movie is not promoted
below you’ll find a link to the website and you can always try to stream it somewhere
http://sugarcoateddoc.com/
name of the movie= sugar coated
I fall into that category of exercising, but not eating healthy. The first thing after I get home from 100km of cycling is probably a cheeseburger, fries and a soda. I eventually realized it’s not a good idea AND it wasn’t enough calorie intake for the money I paid. I have since switched over to hot pot after cycling adventures and the stomach and wallet could not be happier.
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Hookworm.
since moving to taiwan i eat a hell of a lot more sugar. i’ve started getting green tea if i eat out somewhere. its usually sugar free compared to the black which is always sweet.
Have you got a wife, kids.and mortgage on a place thats far from your workplace and a demanding job?Modern people arent lazy, in fact we work more hours than our ancestors or at least hunter gatherers.
Taiwan is a bit easier in terms of commutes.
Lucky you dont live in south east asia then.
Nope, Taiwanese eat lot’s of sugar hidden in their foods.
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why
As european I have the strong impression that taiwanese eat much more sugar than we… But I can’t speak for americans. ^^
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