Comments on: On Being the Fattest

By: Pie

Pie — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 09:20:45 +0000

About the whole American obesity becoming “like a taboo subject”:
I have to say that I 100% agree with you on this. I believe it has something to do with the large inferiority complex that American society has as a whole. Allow me to clarify – most American people are nationalists, meaning they love Americans and despise everybody else (at least this is the case where I come from). Their view is “I can be as stereotypical as I want, because there is nothing wrong with me”, and they say this while consuming a 20-piece KFC bucket and sitting on a mobilized shopping cart in the grocery store when both of their legs work fine (I’m exaggerating? Seen it once, sadly enough). So, when you say something about obesity, the average American will deny that it is a problem.
They feel like if the society they live in has a single problem, the entire nation will come crashing down upon them, and America will be overrun by foreigners. It’s all a really sad, and really rude way to view the country I live in, I know; but the truth sets people free, and hopefully people will change in the years to come.

By: Archana

Archana — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:51:53 +0000

I dunno…I have a friend in Japan who is fairly big but doesnt get a lot of play from the ladies. He speaks fluent Japanese and is quite friendly and charming. He does this rice sack lifting competition every year in Japan (as well as being an ALT) and he always wins.

He is African-American – so not sure if the fatness is cancelled out by the Japanese attitude towards skin colour…

By: owwls

owwls — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:27:49 +0000

Oh, the kids were speaking in English, but they knew what it meant. :)

And mandatory health checks do not happen in America, at least not for me, and if you elect to have them, they definitely don’t tell your employer about the contents!

By: owwls

owwls — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:25:43 +0000

Yeah, Japanese conformity does have some width to it (no pun intended) – you can walk on either side of the street, but you can’t get off the road. :)

By: owwls

owwls — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:23:26 +0000

Whoa, thanks for that info!

By: Kaori

Kaori — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:36:36 +0000

Very interesting post! Was the kid being called “Big (dekai)” or “Fat (debu)?” Because I think being called Dekai is kind of a compliment compared to Debu. Also, having a health check every year isn’t just a Japanese thing, is it? I’m totally dreading the Ningen-dog health check I probably have to start taking next year.

By: Kaley

Kaley — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 03:51:24 +0000

These are really interesting observations. Thanks a lot for posting them! It’s always interesting how the Japanese perceive those who are not “normal”, and I would venture to guess that someone who is larger is not “normal”. Also, I like how the kid said, “I’m the fattest!” I think that shows a surprising amount of individualism from what I’ve learned of the Japanese mindset. These are the things I hope to learn from living there! (^^)b

By: superhappyawesome

superhappyawesome — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:46:21 +0000

Being overweight as a female is very not cool, but there are a few women Sumo wrestlers. There’s even an Australian one!

http://www.kocosports.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=28695

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:12:35 +0000

35 inches is pretty generous for a woman’s waist. That’s pretty awful/funny that your big friend got the sumo treatment at a restaurant…yow!