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The Healthy Japanese: Starchy Diet or Annual Physicals?

Some people are still trotting out the old "Japanese are healthy because of their starchy diet" chestnut.  There are a lot of differences between Japanese and American diets and cultures. One I hadn't heard of until recently was annual physicals for Japanese citizens and ex-pats 30 and over living in Japan. The checkups are free--employers are required to provide them. Those without a regular employer can go through their city office.

The results of these physicals are shared with your employer, who can tell you to shape up or ship out (or pass you over for promotions). With this in mind, many Japanese go on an annual "cleanse" to prepare for their physical. "They do things such as eliminating fried foods and alcohol, and pay close attention to getting more sleep, usually for a month or so beforehand," says ex-pat Jessica Korteman.

A lot of Americans likewise make New Year's resolutions to diet and exercise--but we have a lot less skin in the game. Our health information is legally very private (see HIPAA), and if you're overweight and unhealthy, you're not really going to stand out here. Diet and exercise resolutions break like potato chips.

Annual physicals in Japan include a blood pressure check, urine test and several blood tests; surely these include a blood glucose test--i.e., a check for diabetes. It's reasonable to conclude that diabetes and other health problems in the Japanese gets caught and treated far earlier--remember, the annual physicals start at age 30--than it does in Americans.

I'm not arguing for a Japanese-style health system where we're required to get a physical and share the results with anyone. But there's far more to the health differences in our two countries besides eating rice.

Sources:
https://notesofnomads.com/annual-health-check-japan/#What_happens_at_an_annual_health_check
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hHJQDy-wL4&t=648s
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