(Sorry, Texans) Humorous Japan TV Report on HOUSTON Being "Obesity" Capital of USA (Streaming Video)

FNN News Network (Tokyo) Streaming Video (300k, Windows Media Player) ^ | 14 January 2005 | FNN News Network (Tokyo)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Japanese TV (FNN) ran a short report yesterday, highlighting the fact that Houston, Texas was voted as the US city with the most obese population.

The report runs about one minute. It does not seem to be particularly flattering of poor Houston, nor overweight people living there (some which are profiled by telephoto lens). The way the clip is done is interesting, if not somewhat humorous, and from a Japanese perspective of rare obesity (but wait 'til it comes to cigarette smoking).

At any rate, a short peek of how 'some' Americans are viewed and described, from overseas.

[BriarBey]

Isn't Tokyo the birthplace of the extra small size condom?
****
So are you saying Godzilla was wishful thinking?

[AmericanInTokyo]

i'll let you make those value judgements :-)

[BriarBey]

Domo Atagetto....or how ever the heck you spell that...lol

[AmericanInTokyo]

"Oy. Houston wo sonnani bashinggu suruna!"

"Hey, go easy on Houston, will you!" (Might be what they would say...)

[donmeaker]

Houston won the title because Houston is where my ex-wife lives.

[Redbob]

And number of sporting goods stores!

A town that has fewer sporting goods stores is assumed to be "fat."

[Redbob]

What did strike me about sightseeing in Japan is how very very few overweight people you see.

Also how there must be some federal law regulatiing how tall people can be...

[mollynme]

there must be some federal law regulatiing how tall people can be...

I remember liking the fact that I could look over the top of everyone's head in the subway.

[AmericanInTokyo]

The amount of walking in Japan in one day (up the stairs, down the stairs, down the street, up the stairs, down the train platform, out of the station, over the bridge, up the stairs at the supermarket, back home, etc) must clearly by 10x the average amount walked daily by Americans (and maybe 20x the average amount for Houston-ites). Added up by the weekly and monthly basis, that is many many more calories stored simply by Japanese (at least in cities) of walking from place to place. Not to mention food portions generally 1/2 to 1/3 of America in public places. That will do it.

[AmericanInTokyo]

per previous post: "stored" = "burned"

[Liberal Classic]

A few years back my wife and I were in a somewhat expensive Japanese restaurant along Westheimer Road (In Houston where we live) enjoying some teriyaki and sushi. After were were done with our entrees, we asked the petite waitress for another bowl of rice. She looked at us with wide eyes and mouth agape and exclaimed, "YOU WANT ANOTHER BOWL OF RICE?!" We still laugh about that. It was just a cup of white rice. I felt like saying, "Yeah honey, if you don't bring it soon we're gonna eat you next."

[AmericanInTokyo]

I got a chuckle out of that....