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10 Responses to “How common are eating disorders in Japan?”
It’s actually quite common. I have a friend who goes to school in Tokyo and many of her friends are very under weight from not eating.
They also sometimes purposely inject tape worms. That way they can eat as much as they want and the worm eats all the food as if they hadn’t eaten at all. When they’re at their desired weight, they have the worm removed.
This study finds it to be comprable with the US.
Eating disorders are believed to be more common in industrialized countries, but appropriate epidemiologic studies have not been conducted in developing countries. The lifetime prevalence of bulimia in women living in Tehran, Iran, has been reported as 3.2%. Body dissatisfaction and a desire to be thin are common in this culture. A point prevalence of 5.79 for bulimia has been reported in Japan for women aged 15-29 years.3 The prevalence rate of adverse eating behaviors and bulimia nervosa in Hungary has been found to be similar to the scores published in the Western countries.
Common I would say. Japan is a nation that lives by the principle of “too much information!” as apposed to the American principle of “I confess to Dr. Phil!”, so these things may be covered up. In the case of actress Rie Miyazawa there was no covering up her concentration camp look and she was sent to the US for treatment and fortunately recovered.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:48 am
Melissa Pell
Check out the article on these websites
March 28th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Mathew Saulsbury
They don’t seem to be the norm in Japan.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:14 am
Ralph Dilworth
as you see not many asians big or chubby because many years ago they didnt eat a lot and now they are just used to that
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Charles Fordham
im guessing they don’t all have mental illnesses, it was probably just a cool thing to do for that group of girls..
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Gary Ogden
It’s actually quite common. I have a friend who goes to school in Tokyo and many of her friends are very under weight from not eating.
They also sometimes purposely inject tape worms. That way they can eat as much as they want and the worm eats all the food as if they hadn’t eaten at all. When they’re at their desired weight, they have the worm removed.
April 4th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Marilyn Lockhart
oh now you’ve got me curious!
I wonder… with the way women can be displayed there (let alone here too T.T)
April 5th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Ellen Bain
This study finds it to be comprable with the US.
Eating disorders are believed to be more common in industrialized countries, but appropriate epidemiologic studies have not been conducted in developing countries. The lifetime prevalence of bulimia in women living in Tehran, Iran, has been reported as 3.2%. Body dissatisfaction and a desire to be thin are common in this culture. A point prevalence of 5.79 for bulimia has been reported in Japan for women aged 15-29 years.3 The prevalence rate of adverse eating behaviors and bulimia nervosa in Hungary has been found to be similar to the scores published in the Western countries.
April 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Travis Ceballos
Hmmm, curious as I didn’t think about this before. Worser than being overweight, except you look thin its “acceptable” and no one questions it.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Albert Calhoun
being underweithgt in the US and in Japan is different.
being normal in Japan might be being skinny in the US
April 9th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Katrina Tincher
Common I would say. Japan is a nation that lives by the principle of “too much information!” as apposed to the American principle of “I confess to Dr. Phil!”, so these things may be covered up. In the case of actress Rie Miyazawa there was no covering up her concentration camp look and she was sent to the US for treatment and fortunately recovered.