Weight Loss Camps in Japan

The Japanese are generally known to be a trim health conscious society. As we become more of a world culture though, the Japanese have started catching up to the Western world in gaining weight. While still not considered an overweight population by any means, some Japanese have turned to many of the same weight loss methods used by western culture. Weight loss camps where people live at the camp are virtually unknown in Japan, but there is one unique weight loss camp method that has become a new Japanese obsession

Misconceptions

• The main misconception about Japanese weight loss camps is that there is such a thing that is comparable to the Western cultures. Western cultures have actual camps that a person can stay in for an extended period. During that period, they spend their days in assorted weight loss information classes, doing group exercise and individual workouts with private trainers. The Japanese do not have this. While they can and do have group exercise, camps that have extended stays, personal trainers and classes are not available. There probably has not been much need for it in prior generations due to the Japanese being a low fat healthy trim society in general. However, today as the Japanese catch up on the bad eating habits of some of the rest of the world, weight loss has become a concern. The closest thing in the way of weight loss camps that have become extremely popular with health conscious Japanese is Billy's Boot Camp

Billy's Boot Camp

• Billy's Boot camp is not an actual camp. It is a 4 CD set of military type exercises set to upbeat music made by fitness guru Billy Blanks. While nobody is sure just why the Japanese have taken to Billy's Boot Camp, one thing for certain is that he is much loved by the Japanese. In just one month alone 200,000 copies were sold. The Japanese do the boot camp video alone occasionally, but more often meet in large groups to work out to the video. Many say that they like knowing that everyone is working out with Billy because it adds to the experience. The Japanese also cite health concerns such as diabetes and obesity as reasons to use the Billy Boot Camp Program to keep fit. Clubs have sprung up of young and old alike, and when Billy visited Japan on a ten day promotional tour hundreds of fans showed up for a live work-out session.

Radio Exercise

• Radio exercise is another form of group exercise and is practiced by Japanese citizens for the past several generations. Light music is broadcast over the radio at different times of the day, while exercises are done to the music. Radio exercise was born after the Second World War. It was not created for physical health so much as for mental and emotional health. Japan was experiencing morale problems and rebuilding after the war. These exercises were started as a way to join young and old alike across the country in an activity that would make them feel united and energetic and build hope. No matter where a person was, be it work, school, or home everyone stopped what they were doing and joined with other workers, schoolmates or neighbors to do the radio exercises. Today many companies have stopped the group exercises sessions and the practice is not as popular with the young. But in spite of this, the daily rituals continue and have been broadcast since 1928. The added physical benefits of this practice for so long probably adds to the reasons why the Japanese do not have weight loss camps in the same was as westerners do.

Cultural Perspective

• Traditionally since the Japanese ate very healthy foods there was never much thought given to weight loss camps or even dieting. It just was not needed. But today that perspective is changing because the food is changing. As our world grows and Japan obtains other foods and habits from other cultures the health outlook for the country has also changed. The Japanese are catching up in being diagnosed with diabetes, cancers, heart disease and other life threatening illnesses. As a result, the Japanese have started thinking about dieting and even exploring weight loss methods such as Weight Watchers in addition to using exercising. The cultural perspective has changed from food for nourishment to food for enjoyment and entertainment and now to finding weight loss programs.

Potential

• Once a country has changed perspectives, rarely does the situation revert. As a result, the potential in Japan for the weight loss culture will continue to grow and even thrive as it does in western cultures. The Japanese are in search of weight loss solutions, a fact proved by the growing popularity of purchasing in home exercise equipment such as the rodeo bike, a very popular piece of home exercise equipment in Japan. Japan is so determined to lose weight that the government has started mandatory waist measurements to keep track of advancing obesity. As the trend for healthy alternatives to fight the Japanese battle of the bulge continues, the likelihood of real Japanese weight loss camps could only be a matter of time before they are a well known reality.