Japanese Weight?

I think it's less correct to say people are just "built that way". People tend to forget that lifestyle habits are just as important, if not more so, than genetics.

In America, we tend to drive everywhere, eat large amounts of highly processed foods, and not sleep enough OR sleep too much :P. In most other countries, they tend to walk everywhere, and eat more nutrient-dense foods in smaller portions. Probably, the amount of calories an American woman consumes in one day would be the equivalent of 2 1/2 days worth for her Japanese counterpart. And that's not considering all the chemically-laden food she ate either. :S

There is a sense of pride for being petite in the Asian community and it is actually a phrase of endearment to tell someone to "watch their weight" or even lose weight. So for most Asian women, they tend to be more aware about what they eat and the amount (not only for that meal, but for the whole day's worth and so on).

This is not to say that they obsess over what they will eat, etc. I'm just saying they are more inclined to be subconsciously trained to eat lighter foods and smaller amounts to either keep their shape or just not feel so heavy and lethargic.

So, please believe me when I say it is MUCH more than genetics that makes a person slim.

Japanese girls in general are really NOT THAT THIN. Jenny, I had the same complex you had when I went to Japan, although I'm much fatter than you at 5'3" 115 lbs. My host sister turned out to be about the same height and weight and she's average for a Japanese women. Lots of girls in our homeroom class were way larger than us, and some a lot slimmer. Like one poster said, people come in all shapes and sizes, Japanese people included.

Honestly, I'm sure a lot of Japanese girls would kill to have your stats, (your stats match some of the Japanese models and actresses).

Plus, if you're basing your idea of the ideal Japanese woman in what you see on TV and movies, remember that, those Japanese models are models because they look like that, and not all Japanese people look that way. Do all American girls look like Gemma Ward or Chanel Iman. NO. There's your answer! ^_^ Glad I could help, and I hope you enjoy your visit to Japan. You're going to love it! :)