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Lifer
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The diet had a predictable outcome -- one that doctors are seeing more in Japan as the country leaves behind traditional food habits. At 9 years old, Sayaka stood 4 feet 2 inches and weighed 108 pounds, about 50 pounds over her ideal weight.
"I just love eating noodles. I get home tired from cram school, so I used to eat it all the time at night," explained the girl, who, like many Japanese children, takes evening classes to prepare for junior high entrance exams.
Sayaka is now trying to slim down in a sports program for overweight kids. She reflects a rise in obesity in Japan that is being blamed for diabetes and other health problems. Some fear the trend could one day jeopardize Japan's status as the home of the world's longest-living population.
The diet had a predictable outcome -- one that doctors are seeing more in Japan as the country leaves behind traditional food habits. At 9 years old, Sayaka stood 4 feet 2 inches and weighed 108 pounds, about 50 pounds over her ideal weight.
"I just love eating noodles. I get home tired from cram school, so I used to eat it all the time at night," explained the girl, who, like many Japanese children, takes evening classes to prepare for junior high entrance exams.
Sayaka is now trying to slim down in a sports program for overweight kids. She reflects a rise in obesity in Japan that is being blamed for diabetes and other health problems. Some fear the trend could one day jeopardize Japan's status as the home of the world's longest-living population.
