How Culture Affects Dieting
People all over the world have different principles when it comes to dieting. East Asia may have a different method of staying fit such as engaging in martial arts and then the Western countries have their own way of building muscles by using gym equipment. Our diets also differ in terms of the food we eat such as that the Asians are known for their spicy and stir-fry dishes while the Western culture love their deep fried battered goodies from fast-food chains. Yet, people around the world are having heart problems although a greater percentage of people suffering from heart disease are from the Western part of the world. This could be attributed to the proliferation of canned and pre-packed foods and the mushrooming of fast-food restaurants.
If you compare people from Japan to people from Western countries, the Japanese have a lower rate of heart disease cases. This is mainly because they mostly enjoy seafood and vegetables in their diets. Dieting is not so much of a problem in their country because most of the Japanese traditional dishes are mainly on seafood and vegetable soup dishes. The Japanese also maintain fitness routines which have been proven effective since ancient times. The martial arts make a wonderful addition even to the mundane daily activities in the office. Some companies include morning exercises that promote the well being of their employees.
Proper dieting is always needed wherever in the world you may be. There are diets that have already been part of a nation’s culture and it is important for people to understand how culture can sometimes dictate a person’s risk to health problems and chronic illnesses. Hence, nutritionists do not only create a diet program based on your weight, age, gender, and medical history. Some health experts are also looking into the cultural background of an individual who wants to undergo into a diet plan. This is specifically important since more people are travelling nowadays and that most of us who travel for vacation tend to overindulge on food. It is always best to stick with fruits and vegetables and maintain at least 80% of it in your daily meals even if you are far away from home.