Why Americans are overweight: rice is a staple in Japan. So why is its population so much slimmer than we low-carb-crazed Americans are? … and more of your questions answered here

Shape, July, 2004 by Suzanne Schlosberg

Q Obesity is rare in Japan, yet people there eat lots of rice. Americans are crazy about low-carb foods, yet a third of us are obese. If the Japanese can eat lots of carbs and not gain weight, why can't we?

A It's true that very few Japanese are obese. Just 1.8 percent of men and 2.6 percent of women have a body mass index above 30 (the cutoff for obesity), according to the International Association for the Study of Obesity, a London-based nonprofit organization. On the other hand, more than 19 percent of American men and nearly a quarter of American women are obese.

However, the difference has nothing to do with rice consumption, says Amy Reuter, R.D., the Obesity/Metabolic Clinic dietitian at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. "Japanese people eat significantly smaller portions than Americans do," says Reuter, who has worked with Japanese emigres to the United States. "One reason is that Japanese [serving] bowls hold 1/2-1 cup of rice at most. Their bowls and dishes are what we consider child's-sized."

The Japanese also consume far more vegetables than Americans do, filling up on fiber so they don't have room for huge portions of meat, Reuter says. "A typical Japanese meal consists of four or five different food items--usually meat, rice and two or three vegetables. Some Americans just eat a big bowl of pasta."

The Japanese also use mostly lowfat cooking methods. "They grill, boil or steam their foods," Reuter says. Plus, they exercise more than we do, biking or walking to work and the grocery store.

Q I know sugar is bad, but the sugar in fruit is not the same as in candy, right? Do I need to limit fruit and fruit juice?

A "Sugars are not necessarily bad--that's a myth," says Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City. "The issue is that highly sugared foods tend not to have a lot of healthy nutrients and are often made with fattening butter and cream."

Although the sugar in fruit does not have the same molecular structure as the sugar in candy, all forms--whether fructose, sucrose, honey or corn syrup--are metabolized in the same way. The sugar in a banana and that in a can of soda are both quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and used to fuel the brain and muscles. The difference? Soda is nutritionally empty, whereas the banana contains fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Fruit juice has more nutrients than soda does but far less than whole fruit. Also, the calories in juice add up: Sixteen ounces of unsweetened apple juice contains 240 calories and no fiber, while a medium apple has 72 calories and 3.3 grams of fiber.

Send your questions to Shape, Weight-Loss Q & A, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; fax: (818) 704-7620; e-mail: WeightLossQ&A@Shape.com.

Suzanne Schlosberg is the author of The Curse of the Singles Table (Warner Books, 2004).