Japan is already one of the thinnest nations on Earth. It ranks 187 out of 193 countries with an obesity rate of 4.5%. While that number’s gone up in recent years, it’s nowhere close to number 1 ranked Tonga (71%) or even the 13th-ranked United States (42.7%).
With the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications finally treating the underlying disorder (a GLP disregulation) bariatric surgery (like gastro bypass) looks like the dark ages. Might as well be drilling holes in their head.
I kinda feel bad for the people who were convinced to get it, having a perminantly deformed and broken digestive system and not fixing the underlying hunger issues...
There’s a lot of pressure on people – esp. women – to stay thin in Japan. In 2018, the terms “Cinderella weight” (シンデレラ体重; shinderera taijuu) and “BMI18” (Body Mass Index 18) trended on Twitter. Most physicians agree that, for women, anything < a BMI of 18.5 is unhealthy.
Japan - already one of the world's thinnest nations - has its first-ever approved weight loss drug. Will users dig its nasty side effects? And does a country with a 4.5% obesity rate really need it anyhow? A look at the drug - and the pressure to stay thin in Japan - in our latest below.