The Ancient Art Of Eating

The Japanese Practice Of Hara Hachi Bu – Eating Until You’re 80 Percent Full – Has A Lot Going For It. Nutritionist Bess Kilpatrick Mason Explains How We Can Make It Work

- Bess Kilpatrick Mason

We all know the feeling: sitting back in a chair, wishing there was a subtle way to emancipate our stomach from the top button of our jeans to allow room for the massive meal we’ve just consumed.

It’d be nice if this was a rare feeling, but for most of us, it’s not. The Western world offers a multitude of pleasures, many of them culinary, and in large portions. Be it cake or clothing, we consume copiously, and we’re bombarded with messages that suggest we just have a little more. Our stomachs (and corresponding health issues) are expanding to keep up with what’s on offer.

Residents of Japan’s Okinawa Island move to the beat of a different drum: hara hachi bu. This translates to “eat only until you’re eight parts (out of ten) full” – that is, until you’re 80 per cent full. Okinawans have been studied extensively and are regarded as among the healthiest in the world. They have a simple, nutritious diet, and many live for more than 100 years while experiencing lower rates of stroke, dementia, hip fractures and heart disease. Okinawa’s cancer rates are 50 to 80 per cent lower than that of most developed countries (the difference is due to fewer breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers).