Eat a sandwich!

[aide]

They're doing some weird game on Himitsu... and they said Ohno weighs 40kg right now.  Mr Plasma Screen is not a complementary nickname in my books.

He's 166cm (5'5") and 40 kilos (88lb).  He weighs half as much as I do.  And I'm only 2 inches taller than him.  With those measurements, he has a Body Mass Index of 14.5; normal weight should be 18.5~24.9.  D:  That makes me worried!  They list his weight as 51kg on Wiki.theppn but I don't know how old that information is.  But even then, that is a BMI of 18.5.  Only just normal (by which I think they mean "healthy") weight.  What happened to the toned althletic chubby-faced Leader we all know and love?  It is hard to believe he would have developed an eating disorder with his apparent love of food, but anything is possible.  I really and truly hope its merely a side effect of doing a dome tour, a serial drama, filming for three variety shows, and they're doing their Asian tour in the fall on the heels of Maou... It really does make me worry not just for him, but for all of them.  Yes, as a fan, but also as a human being.

Again, I don't know how old the information for the rest of the group is, but even still, they are all barely in the "normal" weight bracket.  Just barely.  Although, around YTM last year Sho was definitely not.  If Sho could bounce back from that, I am sure Ohno can too.  がんばって、リーダー！何かを食べて！

Japanese people are on the skinny end of the spectrum of the human race anyway, but there is also a problem with eating disorders that is severely unaddressed.  I saw a girl once in Edogawadai station who... it looked difficult for her to even walk, her sneakers seemed too heavy for her feet to lift.  She was literally skin and bones.  It was a severe case of anorexia surely and it was heartbreaking to see.  She was clearly not healthy, and only a high school student at most!  She wasn't the first I've seen, but was by far the worst.

This is making me think about my own eating habits (which I know are not great) and lifestyle.  I don't exercise (and surely they do) and I don't eat very regularly or well (but I'm sure they even less so).  I eat out about everyday with my convenience store breakfasts/lunches but do try to cook dinner at least.  I have tried the low/no carb thing but I can't do it.  I get hungry within an hour of eating if there isn't anything starchy on my plate.  I know you just have to tough through and after the first week it gets better but... I am weak.  I love food.  I don't understand how people can just not eat by choice.  I understand and have experienced not being able to eat from stress or just being so busy you get wrapped up and forget to eat, or don't even get hungry in the first place.  But even though I am not 100% happy with my figure, I can't imagine just cutting out food all together to solve that problem. 

I don't even know how much I weigh now exactly but I know I am technically "overweight" according to the BMI, hovering around 27.7.  When I was 16, 17 I had a healthy BMI of 22.5 and I maintained that for a lot of years.  And then I moved back to Canada and stopped being so active.  If I hate one thing about myself, its that I let myself go like that.  And I know, I keep telling myself this everytime I fall into a slump about my body, that I should do something about it now when there are only a couple (try 20) kilos to lose.  This wasn't a sudden change but I only really noticed the gain after my 3rd year of university and the discovery of beer.  I know I could lose the extra kilos and get back in shape if I tried.  And I really should.  I know it would make me feel better.  Why is there such a disparity between knowledge and action?  

Comments

[andersenmom.livejournal.com]

You noticed that, too, huh?

I've been collecting stats on these guys (and on DBSK, Super Junior, and the non-real characters from Prince of Tennis), and I have come to the conclusion that none of them are particularly healthy.

The fact that the boys from Prince of Tennis - well muscled, active boys, 12-14 - have the same kind of worrying stats makes me think that it's... normal there (meaning Japan). If that makes sense? I mean, the one kid in the Anime who's anything close to normal is considered... chubby.

I realize they're not real. But it is an indication of how the people are that EVERY ONE of them is underweight for their height except Marui. And he eats a lot of sweets. So.

And the fact that the trend continues in healthy, active men... (and real, live men) makes me wonder.

[maiaide.livejournal.com]

It's true... even some of the kids at school, I see them and I think "How much do you weigh?! 30 kilos?" And I know they are only 15 or 16 at most and probably haven't hit their growth spurts but still. And then on the other end, you have some kids that are, for 15 or 16, I wouldn't be hesitant to say obese. Some of it must be genetic, but a lot of it diet. We have the same problems in North America but it seems to be more on the heavier side of things.

I have hardly seen anything to do with anorexia or bulmia here in Japan (albeit I haven't looked that hard). But I do know that psychologists are not very popular with people and there are far too many skinny girls and guys out there.

[andersenmom.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's weird.

I wonder if the BMI scale has changed... or were Americans already overweight when they made it, so it's high?

[honeycorrupts.livejournal.com]

If I could I would share some of my fatness with Ohno, because I care. And it is easy to forget about eating, I've gone a whole day without eating because I just had no time to think about food nor had the desire to eat.

I know I could start shedding the pounds by exercising, but usually I forget about it, so it's not just you. D:

WE'RE FLUFFY PEOPLE AND PROUD OF IT. PEOPLE LIKE TO HUG US BECAUSE WE'RE SQUISHY! &hearts

[maiaide.livejournal.com]

True, I have too but I just can't imagine doing it everyday.

Ahh I want to close this topic. I feel like my healthy discussion turned unhealthy. :/
http://community.livejournal.com/a_ra_shi/1016131.html

[honeycorrupts.livejournal.com]

Actually I think, since the entry talks about such a touchy subject, the comments aren't so bad as they could be. Personally I think it's a good entry, since people are talking about it seriously and not "OMG Oh-chan is soooo skinnny! Japanese people SUXXS!" or something like that. Or telling you out right that in a rude way that you're off your rocker.

But if you freeze or delete the entry it might cause more wank than if you just leave it.

plus isn't it like a known fact that Arashi fans are the bitchiest out of all the fan groups? OH SHIT! >_>

[iaoiua.livejournal.com]

Man, I totally weigh fifty pounds more than Oh-chan at the same height. I definitely don't think it's an eating disorder though, as all of them love food so dearly and some are even foodies. It's almost certainly overexertion.

[maiaide.livejournal.com]

Yes... that was made most abundant to me at the comm. I posted the same thoughts there (minus my own shit) and at first got some good discussion going but then... I'm too sensitive. XD I don't feel like posting to comms anymore because (though well-meant I'm sure) some of the comments seemed snarky to me. But you can't ever tell on the magical internets. :/ Not such a good way to start the day.

[iaoiua.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'm sorry! I never participate in comms [or any Internet communities] anymore for that very reason. Some people have a skewed perception of their importance on the web ... I was active years ago during high school, and I was too, to some extent - so I know? Haha.

Actually, turns out that "internet addiction" will be an actual disorder listed in the next edition of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) used by [American] psychiatrists and physicians. Unsurprising perhaps, but the last major revision to the DSM was in 1994 - and a lot - the Internet - has happened since then! (Anyway, I'm hugely amused d:)

[maiaide.livejournal.com]

"Internet addiction"? Hmmmmmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I had it... I'm on constantly. But I am able to turn it off and do something else for a while. Do they publish that online? I'd like to take a look at it.

[iaoiua.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder has some info about it, although the DSM-V isn't set to be published until 2012 or so.

I don't think that you do, purely from your LJ habits. There are some people though [even on my flist], that I do wonder about ...

P.S. I just remember in some interview when Nino referred to Jun during Bokuimo as "fat Jun" X: