Q: Does Japanese society discriminate against fat people?

Yes, discrimination against obese people is certainly higher in Japan than in Western countries such as the United States, United Kingdom or France.

Japanese people are thin. The average obesity rate is just 22.6%. That's the lowest rate amongst developed countries (161st fattest country in the World). Compared to a country with a high obesity rate such as Austria (57.1%) — that's very low.





Obese people stick out more in Japan because so few people are overweight. Sticking out isn't always a bad thing. However, in some cases it might lead to discrimination.

Tweet

Please take the time to follow us on google+, twitter or our facebook page. We update all three daily.

Follow @japantalkjohn

2005 Tokyo Fashion Report

Why It's Mandatory to Say Cheers in Japan

	98 Things To Do In Kyoto Kyoto is a magical city. It sounds sugarcoated but it's true. With 400 shrines and 1,600 Buddhist temples it's hard to choose your activities. This list will help you make the most of your trip.
	Map of Shinjuku: Understand Shinjuku in 90 Seconds Shinjuku is Japan's largest neighborhood. That puts it high in the running for the world's largest neighborhood. The only way to understand its geography is to break Shinjuku into bite sized districts.