The rate of obesity in Japan is the lowest for all developed nations. This also partially explains why they have the longest life expectancy of any race. But how do the Japanese stay so thin?

One of the main keys to a thin society is exercise. Studies now show that areas with good public transportation have on average a better BMI (Body Mass Index) than those areas which do not. Why would that be?

It all comes down to exercise. The people in areas with "working" public transportation on average walk almost 10 times more on a daily basis than places where a driving commute is more common. The truth is even the best public transportation is slightly inconvenient. Meaning that you will find yourself walking a distance to the pick up point and from your drop off point to your destination. When you commute in a car you walk to your car (usually 100ft or so) then sit till you get to your destination.

Japan has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Most people from school age on use it as a commute and for daily chores. This greatly contributes to their thin waist lines.

The other major ingredient to their thin society is diet. Japanese food in general is low in fat and preservatives, and high in nutrients. They also consume green tea on a daily basis. While similar to coffee in the fact that it raises your metabolism, green tea gives you a gentler, longer lasting stimulation effect. This helps in two ways. Firstly it will raise your heart rate and metabolism much longer than coffee. Secondly because there is no sudden spike and drop like in coffee, there is no lingering sluggish effect, lowering your metabolism after the stimulation effect is gone. The fact that green tea also contains many vitamins and lowers your cholesterol doesn't hurt either.

So I guess we have discovered that all the nutritional experts were right. Diet and exercise are the keys to good health and weight loss. Unfortunately some societies make it easier than others, but you to could alter slightly your daily routine and experience the secret to easy weight loss.