I Investigated The World's Skinniest vs Fattest City

The world's fattest city versus the world's skinniest city.

One with an obesity rate of over 40%.

The other a little over 4%.

Nearly 10 times less.

Same planet, same species, completely different outcomes.

So, I'm going to travel across the world to investigate both to see what

they're eating,

how they live, and what exactly they're doing so differently.

Starting with the world's fattest city.

Welcome to Little Rock, Arkansas, everybody, where not so little people live.

Because this is America's most obese city.

Fun little quick fact about Arkansas, they invented the cheese dip in 1935.

Pretty cool.

So, we're going to explore today

and see what Little Rock's doing wrong cuz clearly they're doing a lot wrong.

We're searching for healthy options around the area and it's it's pretty slim pickings.

We have the Walgreens, Papa John's shows up for some reason.

We got a Chinese buffet, Mike's Cafe, hibachi could be good,

but it's still pretty heavy on the carbs, Value Foods, another supermarket,

Long John Silver's.

I feel like the most accurate answer could be just maybe going back to

the airport and leaving Little Rock.

But, who knows?

We might be able to find something.

There is literally fast food everywhere.

Like there is a Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Chinese takeout places, Wendy's.

Every single place that you can think of is just all on this one

street.

It's like an open-aired food court.

We haven't even been here for

that long and you can already tell

that this is not a very walkable place.

Like nobody's walking.

Everything seems to very spread out.

I think the only way you can get your 10K steps here is like

literally if your car breaks down

or if it gets stolen.

Like, I don't think anyone here is too active.

There isn't even actually a sidewalk to even attempt to walk.

>> With endless unhealthy options around,

we stumbled upon a local donut spot where I wanted to see how the

locals actually order.

>> Good morning.

I want to get what just a a a regular Little Rock citizen would

get.

>> Uh the plain glazed donut.

>> Plain glazed?

>> Mhm.

>> How many?

>> I would say three.

>> Three?

>> Yeah, three or four.

>> Three or four?

>> Yeah.

>> Wow.

I'll go four.

I'm going to do four, yeah.

I mean, we're two away from half a dozen.

We're slightly triggering.

But, we'll go we'll go four.

Four, yeah.

Do you come here often?

>> I come here maybe two or three times a week.

>> Two or three times a week.

Okay, and what's like a for your son and you,

what's like a standard order?

>> Four glazed donuts, two kolaches, and a chocolate milk.

>> What do you think is like the main reason for Little Rock's obesity problem?

>> I would say junk food, whole shrimps, like like fast >> >> Yeah.

>> How often do you eat fast food every week?

>> Not really.

I eat a lot of Asian food.

>> I probably eat it like she said this >> You eat those every day?

>> Mhm.

Yeah.

>> What is that?

Just sausage rolls?

>> Sausage roll with cheese.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

And that's like a Is it like a standard lunch?

>> Standard breakfast.

>> What's like your fruit and vegetable intake like?

>> I don't eat vegetables.

>> No?

>> No.

>> Come on, man.

>> I'm a meat >> to eat your veggies, dude.

>> I'm a meat eater.

>> So, we got four glazed donuts, which is a standard order for somebody,

which is pretty ridiculous.

Only $5.

So, super cheap and very hard to beat.

I can see why people would come for breakfast because, I mean,

it's not expensive at all.

Glazed.

So good.

Now, this is an American start to the day.

I wonder what the people in the world's skinniest city would think of this.

Look at the sizes that this store has.

So, usually like where I'm from, like I'd say like 3XL,

maybe we see 4XL.

This goes 5 6 7 8XL.

So, this is 6XL.

Let's see what this looks like.

Wow, that is just That's not even 8XL, it's 6XL.

I mean, it's here because there's a demand for it.

What's like the most popular sold size?

>> 5X.

>> Have you noticed this store getting busier over the years?

>> We've been here since 1989. >> 89, really?

>> We're not struggling for business.

>> No.

The donuts were just a snack,

so I I out one of Little Rock's most popular breakfast spots

and right away we could see there was a big problem.

This menu is a laminated cry for help.

Like half of the stuff is dessert,

the other half is pretty much a food challenge.

Like we don't just have pancakes, we have strawberry cheesecake pancakes, lemon cakes.

It's incredible.

Like the starter section, who needs cinnamon rolls as a starter for breakfast?

Me apparently.

That actually does sound really good.

The big concern is the children's menu.

Like we have chocolate chip pancakes, one pancake, one bacon, one egg, French toast,

and then what the heck is a unicorn pancake?

What's a unicorn pancake?

But literally no healthy options.

Little Rock, Arkansas is number one in teenager obesity and ranked second amongst children.

And this stuff is what?

There's no healthy options.

The Eureka?

>> So the Eureka comes with a side.

You get to choose from red skin potatoes, fresh fruit, fresh greens.

>> What's the most popular?

>> The potatoes or the grits?

>> I'll do grits.

And within a matter of minutes a crazy amount of food showed up.

>> The air is thick with delicious danger.

Let's start with the cinnamon roll.

Now this is a starter,

but I feel like this is about to end my day.

Like this is a hefty looking thing.

Like this is essentially a freaking death row meal, not a breakfast appetizer.

There's enough sauce in here for me to freaking have a little bath in

it.

Looking like me on payday.

Straight butter.

Oh my god.

Yeah, I'd buy it.

It was more satisfying than any hug I've ever received.

I'm getting goosebumps.

Like the dopamine in my body right now is just like oozing out.

Now to think that a Cinnabon, a regular cinnamon roll, is 880 calories,

this has to be an 1,000 calorie nuke.

Like over 1,000 calories and just in a starter for breakfast.

All right, so the sandwich we got here is called the Eureka.

Fried chicken, bacon jam, bacon, mayo, cheese, buttered biscuit bun.

I mean, how can it be bad?

At least in the short term.

Woah.

I can already feel my blood thickening.

Because I'm actually obliterating my calories and macros today, please subscribe.

Please do it.

The first few bites were actually amazing,

but it didn't take

that long for things to start feeling a little too heavy for me.

This was food I was not used to at all.

And just what I need on the side of the sandwich is a bowl

of grits.

It is so thick.

I think it's bacon fat.

Mm.

I'm a happy boy right now.

Don't peek under the table.

I love to eat, but I don't think it could be my only hobby.

But it doesn't seem like there's a lot to do around here.

Like we do not see anybody out for a walk doing anything.

So we're at the mall hoping to see some people just to see what

people do on their free time around here.

Never mind, there's nobody here.

I do smell Auntie Anne's Pretzels though.

That's a hard smell to miss.

This is the first mall I've been to where they don't offer you stairs.

It's only escalators.

So there's no even encouragement to walk.

Little Rock has an obesity problem.

No good.

What's the main reason in your opinion?

>> I ain't going to lie, I'm going to keep it real.

It's just Southern food, like >> Southern food?

>> I think so.

Just Southern food for real.

Like in the South food is like a a hobby for people.

You know what I'm saying?

I think that's really what it is for real.

For real.

>> Yeah.

How often do you eat fast food every week?

>> When I eat fast food like I kind of get like a little

weird little like groopy feeling

or whatever.

So I try not to eat too much fast food.

>> How often do you eat fast food?

>> Twice a day.

>> Twice a day?

>> Yeah.

>> Dude, that's crazy.

>> Yeah, I know.

That's why I eat this right here.

>> How often do you eat fast food?

>> I'm over it.

I love salads.

>> You're an anomaly here.

>> I love salads.

>> Do you feel like the government should do a better job at informing

people on how to be healthy?

>> Mm.

Yeah, they could.

I'm 24 so like I was kind of in school where like Michelle Obama

kind of did the little food change.

So I got to kind of see both sides of it.

So like yeah, I feel like they could

but like add some healthy cuz like everybody not going to just eat healthy.

Cuz the schools now like the foods now is like >> Bad?

>> Yeah, it's damn near the same

as like jail food a little bit all right.

>> Really?

>> Just a tad bit.

I ain't going to overdo it, but just a tad bit.

>> One of the main factors of Little Rock's high obesity rate is

that they have the lowest number of health educators per capita in America.

So, I wanted to see how much the locals actually knew about basic health

information with a little game of trivia.

I'll give you a dollar if you can answer the question correctly.

Okay.

>> What kind of is?

>> How many calories are in a gram of protein?

>> Can he answer?

>> 12.

>> No.

You got a chance?

>> 30.

>> 30?

No.

How many calories are in 1 g of fat?

>> I don't know.

>> No idea?

How many calories are in water?

>> Zero.

>> There you go.

How many calories are in 1 g of carbs?

>> Oh, Jesus.

>> You got it.

Come on.

It's between 1 and 10.

>> Three.

>> Oh, no, you're so close.

How many calories would you say is in an apple?

>> Damn, I should know that.

I'd say probably like It can't be a lot,

so I'd say I'd probably say like 10.

>> No, I think you're talking about an apple crumb at that point.

What is the average calorie intake for like the average person?

Like what should that be?

>> Ooh, I'd say like maybe 1,000.

Yeah, like maybe like 1,200 calories.

>> No, man.

>> No, no.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the healthiest,

where would you rank Caesar salad?

>> I'd say a eight.

>> An eight?

>> Seven.

>> Seven?

So, would you say Caesar salad's healthy?

>> It depends on what all you got in that Caesar salad.

>> That's also true.

You're you're giving me loopholes though.

So, because of that I'm going to give you a dollar.

Cuz you hustled me there.

I mean, it's pretty It's to say

that people here have no idea about the most basic nutrition information

that you should probably know,

but it's really not their fault.

Like at the end of the day, you only know what you know.

And if you've never been taught it, why would you know it?

So, it's kind of sad.

You start at a young age not knowing anything, you grow up,

bad habits accumulate, diseases, just a bad situation.

>> Does olive oil have zero calories?

>> Yes.

>> No, that's wrong.

Which has more protein, chicken breast or peanut butter?

>> Peanut butter.

>> No.

How many calories are in water?

>> What?

>> Zero.

That was extremely concerning.

Wow.

I think I got to move here

and become like a a freaking nutrition teacher

or something,

I don't know.

It's lunchtime now and we're going to see how people in Little Rock do

fast food.

I'm just going to get whatever the person in front of me gets at

a bunch of different places.

So, hopefully there's enough room in my car and I have sturdy suspension.

And hopefully they're just considering an afternoon light snack instead.

>> Those are my double hundred for you.

>> Hi, can I just get what the person in front of me just got?

>> Two for one for me.

>> Hi, can I just get whatever the most recent order was?

>> All right, we're ready.

>> Thank you.

>> Thanks for choosing Popeyes and what can I get started for you today?

>> Can I just get what the person in front of me just got?

>> They got a gallon of sweet tea, sir.

>> Yeah, that sounds good.

A gallon of sweet tea?

A gallon of sweet tea?

What?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Can I get a straw?

>> Absolutely.

>> Thank you.

This is a freaking kettlebell of sweet tea.

All right, so Popeyes we got a gallon of sweet tea.

The amount of carbs and sugar in this thing,

like this would give like generational diabetes.

Like the amount of stuff in here.

Like it's crazy to say

that probably getting fried chicken would be the healthier choice

because this I mean,

she she might be sharing it, she might not be.

You never know in Little Rock.

Literally the number one thing

if you're trying to lose weight is to not drink your calories.

This is just not a wise choice.

All right, so we got a medium Mountain Dew.

Oh, it's been a while since I've had that.

And then we got a nice hot box here.

Hey, that actually doesn't look too bad.

Looks like so we got six wings and then mashed potatoes with gravy.

No vegetables.

I mean, I guess the green is in the Mountain Dew. 290 calories for

the medium Mountain Dew.

Now, this is where it gets kind of crazy.

So, these are the extra crispy chicken wings.

Per one chicken wing, 170 calories times six 1,020 calories in chicken wings.

And then we have 180 calories in the freaking mashed potatoes.

That's a hefty meal right there.

And again, this is like a freaking breath mint.

So small.

So good.

Little spicy, too.

Damn, I love food.

We got our McDonald's here.

So, we have a small Sprite,

which I consider it to be a victory cuz it's small.

So, small Sprite.

Really good.

Now, if there's a salad in here,

I'm going to get out of the car

and give the person a standing ovation.

With each of these orders,

the one thing they all had in common was

that they had full sugar drinks.

Swapping to a diet option saves a ton of calories,

but this is something the locals probably don't even know.

We have small fries.

What's this?

We have a McDouble.

And we have What else is this?

And we got four nuggets.

A seasoned McDonald's eater always gets a little nuggets on the side.

Calories for this meal, 950 calories not including the sauce.

So, we are like right around 1,000 calories for lunch

and it's not a very filling meal.

Not a lot of nutrients to it.

You're going to eat it, probably be hungry in like an hour or two.

So, not ideal.

But I mean, very, very tasty.

>> >> Wow.

$6.64 for 1,000 calories.

And you wonder why people are eating this stuff.

I tracked all these meals using the MacroFactor app,

the easiest and quickest way to track your calories.

The database is verified, so you can trust its accuracy.

If you're from Little Rock and you're watching this,

I highly recommend you give this app a shot to start learning what's exactly

in your food.

If you want to try it out,

make sure to use code will for a 2-week free trial.

>> We're in the downtown core right now of Little Rock,

and there's literally nobody walking.

There's just cars, but other than that, it's just a ghost town,

and there's just food.

There's just restaurants.

Nobody's walking.

>> It's very strange to see.

I don't think I've ever seen such quiet streets in a downtown area in

my entire life,

which is completely opposite to what we're going to experience in the world's skinniest

city later in this video.

>> We're at the gym right now, feeling lethargic,

as you probably imagine from all the food.

The gym is not that busy.

I think the most popular resistance training here is probably just chewing,

>> >> but every person in this gym right now is a real winner.

But, we're going to try to burn off

as much food as we possibly can.

>> I got into a full body workout,

trying my best to do some sort of possible damage control, but realistically,

it's doing nothing, especially with my next stop.

>> Little Rock, Arkansas, is a big buffet town,

which is probably not not a big surprise at all,

now that I think about it.

But, we are at the Golden Corral,

and some of the plates that the locals make are pretty crazy.

Like, just look at some of these.

But, somehow, my boy, Michael Calvin, made his salad the worst one.

Like, that salad is cursed.

It's cursed.

So, we're going to go inside, have our last meal,

and I don't know how I'm going to feel after this one.

>> Right when we walked in,

we were offered a fountain drink to bring to our seat,

and now it was time to build our first plate.

>> We have the salad section over here.

It's literally a ghost town.

Where's Michael Calvin at?

I have no idea what a hushpuppy is.

I'm going to do that.

Oh, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top.

>> The ratio of unhealthy to healthy options was to be expected,

but the crazy thing is, the dessert section was actually the biggest section.

>> We got plate one right here.

I got spaghetti beside casserole beside I don't even know what it is. $16

all you can eat

which is just financially ideal until the medical bills kick in.

Here we go.

It's good.

Time for plate two.

The pizza looks like pretty fire.

Looks like Pizza Hut vibes.

Nice and crispy.

Got some Mexican rice.

I'm going to put Mexican rice on top of the pizza.

That's what confidence looks like and it's dangerous.

And lastly, dessert.

At this point, I didn't really need it,

but it's here and that's the point of a buffet.

I was only taking little pieces of each thing

which made me feel like I was in control,

but a bunch of little pieces definitely adds up.

At this point, I'm not hungry.

I don't think anyone else in here is hungry,

but we're just trying to make our money's worth.

Mhm, brownie.

Ooh, that's decadent.

And then this thing, I don't know what it is.

Very heavy.

Mhm.

Pecan pie.

Wow, this tastes like signature.

It's a nice spice nut on the top.

Feeling dizzy.

I've never been dizzy from food.

I have hit rock bottom in Little Rock.

I cannot eat anymore.

Let's go to the world's skinniest city.

We have spawned in Tokyo, Japan where the obesity rate is just over 4%,

10 times less than Little Rock.

Everything that they do in Little Rock, like you will be shunned.

We are quite literally in a different weight class.

So, I'm very interested to see how much different life is here.

Let's go find out.

It's 6:00 a.m. and I'm about to do some radio taiso

which is a Japanese morning exercise routine that's been around for nearly a hundred

years.

So, every single day we've been here,

this park has been absolutely packed with the cutest old ladies

and old men just

or a farming.

So, I'm just going to go and see if I can join them.

They're starting their day with movement

which is key to low obesity rates

and longevity.

Oh, I'm cracking everywhere.

>> Even though this is obviously not exercise

that I'm used to

or find remotely challenging,

it still felt incredible.

What felt even better was doing it outside with a bunch of people.

>> Music's low-key banging.

>> A lot of people, once they reach a certain age,

give up on themselves and stop moving.

So, it was nice to see that in Japan, no matter the age,

they get movement.

>> That was so great.

I feel like loose, I feel balanced emotionally and physically.

I feel like at one point we did the chicken dance.

It was just It was a good time.

It was a good vibe.

I feel good.

I feel yummy, man.

I feel ready to start the day.

When you start with movement, it's just that you're you start at this high,

and so hopefully it just keeps on going.

It's a good day.

>> The next stop was to get my morning caffeine fix.

That was a little more green than what I'm used to.

>> Hopefully this is not an indication of portion sizes for the day

because I feel like I need to refill before even tasting it.

But, we have some ceremonial grade matcha right now.

And this is pretty much the coffee of Japan.

It tastes healthy.

My insides are clapping.

There's a ceremony going on within right now.

Mhm.

There is absolutely no sweetness whatsoever, but I don't need it.

The old ladies in the park gave me all the sweetness

that I need for the day.

>> But, I think the people of Little Rock would be afraid of this drink.

>> >> They'd be like, "Why is there not enough sugar in my grass clippings?"

It's very intense.

I must have been drinking the fake at home.

But, we did the morning movement and now I'm matcha man.

I feel like my body's a temple right now.

>> So, I enjoyed my matcha,

then went on the hunt for my first actual meal of the day.

What separates places from being healthy to unhealthy is options available that are convenient.

So, naturally my first stop was Japan's most iconic convenience store, 7-Eleven.

>> 7-Elevens in America are pretty sketchy.

They are like the white panel van of convenience stores.

But, in Japan, they're actually a food destination.

So, this is going to be the first stop.

>> This is the first time I've walked into a 7-Eleven

and actually stayed hungry.

>> This salad chicken looks like this is ready for a bodybuilder 1 week

out from competition.

That just looks That looks scary clean.

I think the most processing about it is actually just the packaging.

Kids can come get dried squid tentacles.

Back at home, I could probably get something with a chemicals to actually grow

tentacles.

>> It was crazy to see

that they had more options on the healthier side than unhealthy.

Fresh salads, protein bowls, fruit cups, and tons of protein drinks.

The complete opposite of Little Rock.

>> Excuse me.

Is there any healthy options around here?

>> In the store?

>> Yeah.

>> We have >> A lemonade. >> lemonade.

>> Oh, okay.

>> And we have these waters.

They're healthy for you.

>> I need to get the most popular things at 7-Eleven,

and the most popular thing by far is this egg salad sandwich,

which I don't understand why.

It looks like the most basic sandwich ever.

Like it's like making a fuss of a single stuffed Oreo,

but I'm going to get it.

I hate egg salad.

To me, usually I see egg salad

as a form of punishment

when mom gave it to me for lunch,

but could be good.

You never know.

And then the next thing we're going to get is also the onigiri,

which is like seaweed, and then there's rice inside with some meat.

It looks like beef.

We will find out.

It's pretty wild.

They have Coke added fiber in it.

I have never seen that before.

We just can't do empty calories here.

I thought this was a fridge.

It's hot.

Oh my god, it's hot coffee.

It's very hot coffee.

What the >> First thing I'm trying is the egg salad sandwich.

>> I got to see what all this fuss is about.

Look at that.

Okay.

I mean, again, it's super basic.

It's like a girl with no makeup on.

Vulnerable.

Here we go.

Mhm.

The fact that I don't mind it makes this sandwich borderline mythical.

It has an unexpected sweetness to it and a texture that's kind of confusing,

but it's making me want to go back for more.

The bread is like softer than my pillow back at home.

You know what?

I went into this one as a skeptic, but I'm leaving as a believer.

I like that.

It's definitely not all egg though.

There's a lot of other stuff going on in here.

Probably mayonnaise.

Probably a lot of mayonnaise.

Next thing I want to try is the onigiri.

So, this is beef, onion, and soy sauce.

So, we got seaweed with some rice, and inside we got the meat.

Kind of like a a Japanese protein bar.

Great pre-workout snack, actually.

A lot of rice.

I'm not getting any meat.

Don't be shy.

Show me your meat.

Let's go deep.

Let's get the meat.

There it is.

That is quite nice.

That was only 224 calories.

Apparently, 7-Eleven is famous for the desserts, specifically ice creams,

and this creme brulee one caught my eye.

Oh, look at that.

It's a beauty.

You got to hit it just right.

Little hard, then a little soft, repeatedly, and eventually,

it's going to open up for you.

Here we go.

Perfect, see?

Yep.

Oh my god.

That is so good.

Why can't gas stations be like this in North America?

I mean, look how shallow this plate is.

Like I I can't can't get much work done here.

Everything's just such small portions.

It's kind of annoying.

And then of course, we got to try our coffee.

A lot of black coffee options.

Not a lot of like sugary, milky options.

It's mostly black.

Oh, that's nice.

Even though I got a few things,

the calories still weren't even close to the cinnamon roll appetizer we had in

Little Rock.

After 7-Eleven, I met up with fellow YouTuber Joseph.

American-born, but has lived in Japan for the past 15 years.

What's like the main difference in the food food America versus Japan?

>> The main difference is well, one, people eat a lot less.

People don't really consume soda with their meals.

Things aren't as sweet, too.

So, it's like they're kind of habituated to a lower level of sweetness.

>> Okay.

>> So, it's not necessarily

that there's some amazing compound in this thing

that they eat.

It's just like they totally nail the basics.

>> Joseph then took me for a traditional Japanese lunch to get something called teishoku.

And this place was absolutely packed with locals all eating the exact same thing.

>> So, this is Nakau, which is basically a chain teishoku restaurant.

>> Teishoku?

>> Teishoku.

>> Okay.

>> Which is like it literally means standard meal

that the average Japanese person is probably going to eat multiple times a day.

So, it's ichijusansai, which means one soup, three dishes.

>> Mhm.

>> So, we got fish and you got chicken.

You have your two other dishes,

which this is stewed of seaweed and that's radish.

And then rice.

>> Some rice.

>> Beautiful presentation.

>> Yeah.

>> It's adorable.

I love this.

>> And this is like what was it, like seven bucks?

>> It's cheap.

So, it's like it's like cheap healthy food, too.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

>> So, other than like small portions, less less sugar, less salt,

>> >> what else like attributes to Japan's low obesity rate?

>> There's this idea of harahachibunme.

It literally means stomach 80%.

>> Oh, so you only eat to 80% capacity?

>> It's like eat to 80% capacity and that's it. >> know about that.

Imagine like living your entire life at 80% battery.

I don't know.

>> Well, I think I think it actually works out cuz like you eat

80% and then it takes What does it take,

like 20 minutes or something to like fully feel the effects of what you

ate,

like the digestion takes place.

So, you feel a little bit more full.

>> Man, I'm kind of like overwhelmed.

Like I just want to dump all the bowls into the tray

and just mix it all up.

Would that be rude?

>> That would be pretty rude.

>> That would be Okay.

This Yeah, we'll stop.

>> That would be rude.

People would just be like, "What?

Don't do that."

I think there's some psychology around like having things separated into dishes >> Yeah.

Actually makes you more full.

>> I've never thought about that.

>> I mean, I feel like I need to have a game plan of

what to do here,

which is making me think too much,

which is kind of slowing me down on how I eat.

This is like food interval training.

You go there a bit, then there, then there, then there, then there.

Well, that's good.

That's very good.

Yeah.

If someone got this this bowl in America, they'd send it back.

They'd be pissed with the size of this thing.

I can't Half the food is making it to my mouth.

The other half is making a scenic route back into the the tray here.

I don't even think a muzzle would slow me down this much.

It feels like meals here are like designed for longevity,

and then meals in America are designed to just kill you.

>> You don't get the instant hit of dopamine

or sugar or salt

or whatever it is.

>> My impression is in the States it's like, "Hey, check out our meal.

It's so big.

Look, this this meal is even bigger.

You can get a value meal.

It's like it's super big."

>> Yeah.

>> But, I feel like in Japan that's not so much of what's going on.

It's more like our it's so the quality is so good.

This chicken comes from

that pre-picture or this beef comes from

that pre-picture.

Like, come >> Yeah. >> get it.

>> Don't even know what this is.

Here we go.

Mhm.

Oh my god.

Wow.

Awesome.

Everything's so simple.

There's like it just seems like a few ingredients per thing.

Nothing like crazy like that kind of scares you a little bit.

There's like nothing like that.

So, is the miso soup that's like a standard addition to a meal?

I feel like it's supposed to like help fill up your stomach probably

as well.

>> Yeah.

>> So, that's like a tactic to keep people like fuller and not overeat?

>> I think so.

I don't know if like they they traditionally said like,

"We should add miso soup to our food culture so we don't get fat."

Like, I don't know if I don't know if that was the plan,

but it's also pretty salty.

Sometimes people are craving salty snacks.

It might just be that they're they're not craving chips per se.

What they're really after is the sodium.

I've done that myself.

It's like I'm craving, you know, I just want some junk.

So, I'll just have some miso soup.

And then and And I'll wait a bit. and I'm like, "Okay,

that took care of it."

>> I'm also never one to use chopsticks, but in Japan,

I was too embarrassed to ask for a fork,

and just using chopsticks made me eat slower,

which was actually making me feel fuller faster.

>> I don't know if I'm full, or if I'm just frustrated.

This is so hard using these.

My god.

I'm good with wood, just not chopsticks.

>> Japan is one of the biggest walking cities in the world,

where residents average 6,500 to 7,200 steps >> >> every single day.

Like, look at it out It's packed with people walking,

and I think like Tokyo is like the biggest city in the world with

like a population of 37 million,

and the traffic is actually better here than where I live back at home,

and it's like a fourth of the size.

That's pretty insane.

Look how empty this road is right now.

In a main city, this would be completely stopped.

And also, I have yet to hear a car horn this entire trip.

We're about to walk through this.

It's going to be chaos.

Here we go.

If I was shorter, I'd be claustrophobic right now.

>> >> Pretty incredible to see how many people are out walking wherever they

need to get to.

Even public transportation is filled with advertisements for low-calorie snacks,

which is a big difference from Little Rock.

>> God, notice I'm looking around, and there's a lot of people here.

I can't see anybody that's like fat or overweight.

Like, there's probably no one wants to be that guy.

Maybe it's me.

But, if you're walking in America,

and you say you don't see a fat person,

you're probably just avoiding reflective surfaces, if you know what I'm saying.

Like, they're everywhere.

But, here, with the amount of people around, it's nobody.

>> Because the walking culture is so big, vending machines are everywhere.

And these are not your average vending machines you see in North America.

>> It's really hard to find vending machines with actual stuff in it with calories.

Like, look at this.

Here we have BCAAs, then we here have a conditioning drink,

then you have matcha, then you have vitamin C boosters,

then you have like Look at this, like more vitamin C,

a lot of black coffee, we have electrolyte drinks.

It's basically like a supplement shop on the street.

And the fact that it's on the street,

a lot of people are having these cuz these are like the same ones

that we see everywhere.

Usually like in America you have like vending machines with chips, chocolate,

if you want to be healthy there's like that one granola bar.

This is very different.

We're in this random store right now and they have protein shake vending machines,

which you get 10.6 g of protein for 100 yen,

which comes out to 87 cents. 87 cents for nearly 11 g of protein

and you're telling me a Mr.

Olympia is not Japanese?

I don't think the Japanese know how good they have it

and how much more jacked they should be.

So I'd definitely go to town with these.

Woah.

Is it just like Oh my god, it's warm.

It's warm protein.

So there we go. 58 calories, 10.6 g of protein for 87 cents.

You're hungry, just pop in here, grab that and keep on walking.

That's so nice.

It's like very It's kind of like yogurt.

It's like warm >> >> yogurt.

>> As I was enjoying the protein shakes,

I started to wonder if the locals thought it was easy to stay healthy.

>> You guys don't know how lucky you guys have it here.

Look at this.

Yeah.

So is it easy to stay a lot leaner in Japan?

>> Yeah, I think like there's like a lot of food

that does not have

so much like fat in it.

In school you have like a really strict diet.

They have it here too.

>> Oh, really?

>> like nutritional experts I think that like design the meals for the kids.

>> Okay.

>> Like growing up they get like kind of told what is good

and what isn't good to eat.

>> Do you guys follow a diet?

>> You guys have a diet?

>> No.

>> What's your diet?

>> Walking.

>> Just walking.

Do you say walking is what keeps you thin?

>> Yes.

>> Yes.

Do you guys track steps?

>> not much.

>> Okay, you're at 3,000 steps.

Okay. 5,000 steps.

How many steps do you think you walk per day?

>> Not much.

>> You're at >> 2,000.

>> You're almost at 3,000.

Okay.

>> You just started the day.

Okay.

How many would you get on a typical day?

>> Maybe eight.

>> How many steps a day would you walk?

>> Like 18,000.

>> 18,000?

>> Yeah.

Yesterday I in here.

But in America maybe like not that much because I drive.

>> What I understand is like after the war they had these choice of

rebuilding the country.

They kind of took a risk

or investment into their rail companies

and they built those out first

and then kind of influenced the roads.

Um so now it's really easy to get around, especially Tokyo,

for with public transit and that's why I don't have a car.

Would a fatter person like feel like they're being looked at

and more uncomfortable walking around in Japan?

>> In Japan it's a very communal society.

They know that there's like this social eye that's always watching them

and they feel like they're not able to contribute

as much or fit to the communal standard.

They wait till night time to go shopping.

You know, I have a lot of Japanese friends who are around my age.

Like what they're attracted to as far as a a woman or a partner,

they definitely prefer like slimmer.

What my friends in the States would say is normal is fat in Japan.

>> Japan has a very low obesity rate.

>> Yeah.

>> So what do you think's like the main factor for that?

>> I think they don't mess with the food too much.

Not too fatty.

I think it's mostly like healthy food, but it's filling.

We had a meal together.

It's the unagi meal.

It was like just the eel and the rice.

I looked at it and I was like, "Oh, it's very small."

But I I didn't even finish it.

It was pretty filling.

Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> I think they prioritize more seasonal food.

If you go to a restaurant, like an authentic one,

they might not even give you a menu up until a day before

because it depends on what they can make get fresh at the market.

In the States, you know, you can just look online.

It's pretty much the same menu year-round.

So I like how the Japanese are much more in tune with what's seasonal.

You know, they're the experts.

It's their restaurant, um they're usually in it for passion rather than money

because restaurants don't really make

that much.

Yeah.

If they're putting something on the table,

they put a lot of care and thought into it.

In the States, people often say

that they don't have the budget to eat healthy.

I think that's kind of true.

It is much easier

and also the advertising is much more catered to like fast food.

But here, it's really easy to eat clean and efficiently.

>> So, it's just very easy to get a convenient,

healthy option when you're on the go.

Whereas in America, a convenient option is usually pretty unhealthy.

>> I would think so, yeah.

>> Yeah.

I am out front the most famous fast food burger spot in Japan called

MOS Burger.

As you can see, I'm avoiding chopsticks at all costs.

So, this is opened by a man named Satoshi Sakurada.

This is like Japanese people have the sickest names of all time.

So, we're going to go inside and see how Japan does fast food.

Apparently, Japan has a very strict advertising law where the pictures of the food

actually have to match what the food looks like,

which explains why Grinder is not Japanese.

But I ordered the MOS signature burger,

and it does look a lot like it did on the screen,

which is pretty crazy.

I mean, being Japanese, I wasn't expecting big,

but I am expecting it to deliver.

This is less than 400 calories.

And then we look at our most popular burger in America, the Big Mac,

which is over 500 calories.

So again, a lot smaller here.

The chances of this not getting on my shirt is very low.

Here we go.

Mhm.

The patty is like almost sausage-like, and it's a meat sauce on top.

It has a little bit of a spice to it.

It doesn't taste mass-produced at all.

It actually tastes like a pretty fresh burger.

The tomato slice is actually thicker than the patty, which is interesting, slightly triggering,

but I feel like also that's a little bit more healthy.

Look how small.

That's like the default size, how small that is.

Not as salty as what I'm used to, not even close,

but still highly addictive.

Those are very good.

Already I feel like I could eat this whole thing

and not need a nap afterwards.

I feel like I'd feel good and ready to take on the day.

Now, this one is another popular one.

It's a burger, but the bun is actually made of rice.

And on the inside is a bunch of different like seafood, edamame, carrots,

and then it's like tempura fried.

So much rice today.

They put rice on everything.

I feel like even the condoms are probably like rice paper or something.

So good.

>> The fast food here is substantially different.

It feels fresher, less processed, and overall just smaller.

Because of that, I left feeling fine and actually still kind of hungry.

>> We are now walking around in the fish market,

and my strategy going into this is that if it looks good,

I'm going to buy one.

If it looks weird, I'm going to buy two.

Which one do you recommend?

>> Recommend uh baby bluefin tuna.

>> Very, very fatty tuna.

So, we got tuna sashimi.

It goes from lean to fatty.

You only get four pieces in Japan.

I feel like it back at home, I get I get 48 pieces,

you know?

I feel like if I asked her for a dragon roll,

she'd be dragging me out.

This tuna was probably swimming this morning.

Now it's sinking to the bottom of my stomach.

Wow.

It's lean protein, carbs, nothing fried, super good.

>> This seems to be Japan's version of a food court,

and everything here was pretty much lean protein, freshly caught fruits and vegetables.

It was hard to find anything fried.

>> This is the first fried food spot that we found,

and I'm going to try it.

So, this is I I actually don't even really know what this is,

but my favorite learning experiences are always in my mouth.

And I can't even pronounce it, and that's not because of chemicals,

it's just a language barrier.

So, I This is some sort of deep-fried fish cake.

Here we go.

Hmm.

It's fried, but it doesn't even taste fried.

It kind of just tastes pan-seared.

It's not really oily.

There's no like big crust on it or anything.

Like, I would be fooled.

I actually wouldn't actually think this is fried.

It tastes very fresh.

Like, look at the inside of this thing.

Maybe fried here means grilled in America, I'm not sure.

This piece is scaring me, though.

What is that?

I felt like I was non-stop eating, which I guess I was,

but everything was so much lighter the calories didn't really add up to anything

crazy.

But, even with all the healthy food around,

I wanted to see how the Japanese did dessert.

So, I bought a traditional Japanese cheesecake.

No matter how full I am,

I always have to end the day with some dessert.

This would be considered the diet version back in America.

Like, this is so much lighter than a regular American cheesecake.

Like, if if a Japanese person saw an American cheesecake,

they would think that's like a game show challenge or a freaking cinder block.

Now, this is airy, it's light.

It jiggles on contact.

It knows how to catch my eye.

There's a time to be firm and there's a time to jiggle.

Wow.

So good.

I truly think that you can eat this entire thing and be like,

"It didn't even count."

Like, genuinely.

Nowhere near as much sugar.

>> >> And somehow, when it's in your mouth, it's almost not even there.

I think that might be even the whole point.

Holy that's so good, man.

Oh.

I think I'm going to actually eat this whole thing.

I think in Japan,

it's really hard to cheat on your diet other than just emotionally.

Like, everything that you want to get is just by default a lot lighter

or a lot smaller.

So, it just keeps you in check no matter what you do.

>> It's pretty clear there are some big differences between Little Rock and Tokyo,

but the biggest one isn't willpower, it's the environment.

The options that are available to you, the choices that are convenient,

and the health education you're exposed to every day.

Because when the healthy choice is also the easy choice,

people tend to make better decisions.

I don't think the question is why Tokyo is so healthy.

The question is what can the rest of the world learn from it?