“When did you move to Japan?” might seem like an odd question to ask my patients seeking weight loss guidance. In my experience as a Tokyo dietitian, however, the root cause of many of my patients’ weight gain issues is a move abroad. Combine the stress of moving across the world with an unfamiliar food environment, and it’s no surprise that shifting your life to Japan can act as a weight gain accelerator.
While I avoid focusing on weight alone as a measure of health, gaining weight after a move is often linked to issues with diet quality, food access and one’s relationship to food. Regardless of whether the scale changes after a move or not, below are my top tips to help new residents improve their diets and find sustainable solutions to their nutrition problems. For food lovers, a move to Japan can initially seem like a dream come true.
From cheap and delicious street food to one of the highest numbers of Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, the options for good food are dizzying. Yet it is this abundance of options that can cause a problem for some of my patients. The urge to dine out and try all of the new, delicious food can lead some of my patients to do exactly that, but for all of their meals.
While I support the idea of exploring Japanese cuisine, it’s difficult to ensure adequate intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other nutrient-dense foods if you’re only dining out. Although there are restaurants serving more healthful options, most din.