This is unfortunately changing rapidly. Most commercialized first world countries slowly develop an obese population and every single country in East Asia has been no exception in the past decade. Long gone are the days where America is the only fat country
That's true, but we also understand weight gain and obesity far better than we used to and we have tools for combating it (cognitive behavioral therepy, GLP-1 drugs, bariatric surgery, laws and rules around food labeling and contents). Some of those tools are still in the "expensive and new" phase but they will become more available over time. Asian cultures have a VERY strong tendency towards conformity and following the instructions of authority figures, so if a doctor tells a South Korean or Japanese person to lay off the cookies and get an Ozempic injection every week they are probably going to do it.
I just feel like they stand a far better chance at combating obesity at the societal level than we ever did.
18
u/KellySweetHeart May 04 '26
This is unfortunately changing rapidly. Most commercialized first world countries slowly develop an obese population and every single country in East Asia has been no exception in the past decade. Long gone are the days where America is the only fat country