[Columbine]

I will throw in for my 2 penneths worth that skinny doesn't automatically mean healthy either. I don't mean 'underweight' by this, I mean ordinary skinny. I'm skinny but I can tell you right now I'm unhealthy because I don't exercise enough, and I can feel it in my body compared to when I did. I get tired more, I get more general aches and pains and upsets. Ok, so I'm not clinically ill or at death's door, but my dad, despite carrying a gut that would make him a stunt double for Father Christmas is probably healthier than me in some respects because of all the sport he does. He certainly has a healthier heart and lungs than my mum, who's dumpy and doesn't do any exercise at all.

Being thin is only half the battle towards being healthy; your cardio health is much less related to your lumps and bumps than people think and it's also more important, but for Japan, it's a hurdle they've already gone a way to cross. They have (or seem to have) much more sports in schools and businesses and walking/cycling is much more common. Even Japanese junk food is comparatively 'better' than american or european junk- Mr Donuts has smaller, less sugary donuts than anything i've ever come across.