Weight - A question for plus size JETs

[AVN]

Personally, I'm a bit uncomfortable with some of the replies above that seem to be advising you to lose weight before you come on JET. Whether you do so or not is entirely up to you, but please don't feel like you NEED to lose weight to have a fulfilling experience on JET.

I completely agree with this!
Also I don't think it's so much about losing weight as being healthy(by which I mean the schedule can be hard, the kids genki and the culture shock tiring).

[king]

Even people or more standard weight have problems finding clothes in Japan.
I went to uniqlo to try and get a shirt and was pleasantly surprised to find the large in Japan seemed to be the same as a large at home, yey (there are afterall several kids at my school around the 190cm mark so surely clothes for them have to exist- there are quite a lot of tall Japanese guys even).
However...upon trying it on....the arms are just so darn tight.
I've no idea why this is so but it was.
I then tried the extra large- the arms were pretty OK (well, better anyway...not great...) but the shirt fit me like a dress. And for the record I completely lack any upper body muscle worthy of the name.
So...for a larger person...hope you have pretty thin arms.


Totally agreed with the get thick skin comments. As said I'm pretty average, I have a bit of a gut but my weight is within the healthy range. Kids make fun of me quite often though with when is the baby due and all that. Maybe if it upset me they might stop (but then I do have well behaved kids....) but...yeah. If someone was more insecure about that it could be troublesome.

[Melodym]

mmhmm I agree with Steph and AV, but I also would be careful to not devalue the other comments and people here. I think people are just sharing their personal experiences (which can be hard with a subject like this). There's nothing wrong with talking about losing weight, gaining weight or a complete lack there of, as long as it is mentioned in a healthy format. I think it's nice to have different perspectives and options. I don't think everyone is saying 'you should lose weight'. In fact I only see that being stated as an idea by one person in this thread. The rest just seem to be offering options on things you can do before leaving, or ways to handle being overweight while in Japan (including reactions from children and how to deal with buying clothes). Maybe you're uncomfortable that there are only a few options being suggested? That's understandable.

Here are some other ideas:

1. I think the few people that mentioned shopping online and having clothes shipped to you are spot on. I do that now and I haven't left the country yet. haha. Thank goodness for the internet. Maybe we can compile a list of plus sized shops that will ship to Japan? Sounds helpful if it doesn't already exist.

2. If you are more worried about your body image than clothing, I would suggest joining an online group that celebrates healthy bodies of all shapes and sizes. That's what really helped me in the past 6 months. It helped boost my confidence, which I'm sure will come in handy while in Japan.

3. Look for women with a similar body type and size as you. I don't know why, but when I see them I always think 'wow they're beautiful, does that mean I am as well? I must be!' and the confidence in feeling that is really great. It's also a nice way to discover new types of clothing that you were never sure you could pull off before.

I'm not in Japan right now so I can't really comment on Japanese attitude to the plus size, but people here seem to have covered that already. Like AVNicholls said, as long as you have enough energy to keep up with these rambunctious kids, you're going to do fine.

[Siyris]

Hey... no problem about the message -- it's odd that it won't let you reply. But! I'm happy to have been able to help. Honestly, I would say take into consideration your weight, but don't let it stop you from going after something you want. The only really concern you need to pay attention to is your health. If you can manage your health over here, and you are comfortable enough with yourself, then by all means, get yourself on over here

[number one]

Clothing-
I'm neither plus sized nor overweight (though at the borderline I could stand to lose 10 lbs....) but even so, I am not really of the "standard" Japanese frame and definitely more than average Japanese weight. I have hips, thighs, and miles of ass so, yeah, I couldn't just walk into a Japanese shop and pick up anything off the rack and be fine. I think the MOST important thing to finding clothing no matter what country you're in starts with knowing how to dress yourself. Know what cuts and styles work best for your particular body type (e.g. with my bottom-heaviness skirts and dresses have a high success rate versus pants which I don't even bother with)! Do you want to minimize your boobs and emphasize your neck? Show off your great legs (from the knees down in school please ) while being modest about your middle? Go look for a body type based style guide online and then look for those particular types of clothes in Japan. You will almost definitely be able to find them in your size somewhere, even if you have to travel into a larger area to find them. Also, yes, Uniqlo is great. It seems to fit everyone of all sizes. If you happen to love blue jeans, maybe stock up before you leave.

And if all else fails! When you meet someone your size, discreetly compliment their clothing and ask where they bought it .

Comments-
I know a guy or two around here who regularly gets called "big" and asked various questions about his size that might be deemed a bit rude in Western culture. From the accounts from girls I have heard of, they do occasionally receive comments... but they are all kind of matter-o-fact observations without any intended rudeness. Depending on how big your schools are, you may even have students bigger than you. I'm in JHS and at least half the kids have a couple inches to a foot on me and who knows how many lbs. Not all Japanese people are as tiny as you would think!

And finally, if you wish to do something about your physical condition- more than setting a goal of "losing weight" I'd set a goal of "being healthier"! Take a look at your current diet for places you can make improvements. Do you engage in any regular physical activity? If not, figure out a way to start out easy and fit some in your schedule that is both slightly challenging and also fun.

[BasilG]

Seems like some people took a little offense to my post about 'if you're worried, and you've got time, why not think about losing the weight you're worried about.' I'm sorry if it came across in that way, I was trying to say: that's where I was, and that's what I did, and it's made a big difference for me.
Of course, everyone's different, and I'm not saying that my experience on JET is better than someone who is more overweight. That'd simply be untrue.
But, I was saying that my experience here as me-at-a-healthy-weight compared to me-as-obese is so much better. And, the thread is a question for plus-size-JETs about their experiences.

Like, the sort of things I had in mind when I made my post are some experiences in my life here in Japan. Like, I play taiko. And, we did a special event where we had to wear a special kimono uniform our group has. It just fit me, only just. It was tight, and so I did feel a little uncomfortable. But, if I was any bigger, I wouldn't have been able to play in the performance I'd been practing for at all. So, for me, I can see ways I'd have been missing out if I'd not lost weight.

Y'know, it's hard to talk about issues like this and it is a touchy subject. But, I'm glad we have the forums here where we can express our experiences and opinions. Looking at my previous comment, I didn't express what I meant in exactly the right way and I can see why people would think it was a little preachy, but I know you can understand what I meant.

If you're healthy and plus-sized, that's cool and finding clothes in Japan is totally doable, but a little more inconvenient. Can't just walk into a typical Japanese department store and find something that'll fit right. But it's different if you're overweight and have worries related to that. I was just putting out my experience and I trying to say 'It made me happy, you should think if it'd work for you, too.' and also, 'you're not alone, I was where you were and I decided to do something about it because I was worried and it's possible to get rid of those worries'.

[socraticirony]

I think this is a lot different for men and women. For me, I am a big guy, but I dont have too much trouble finding clothes. The arms are a little tight but that just makes it look like I am packing huge guns. The extra weight I have means I get students coming up and squeezing my belly but at the same time, a few extra pounds on me don't look that strange and I get a lot of curious attention and compliments (mostly from japanese women). I think being inaka and having that kind of star status means that what may be seen as physical flaws back home just become part of the intruige here. That is what it is like for men, but the women in my ken tell a different story. Not so much in how they are treated, but in how easy their life is. Women tend to have more areas in which their size may differ from one woman to the next. Chest size isnt really as big of an issue, Japanese women fun the whole gambit with that, but the hips... even with the japanese that have some extra junk in the trunk, their hips just dont flare out as wide. Makes it super hard for my foriegn female friends to buy pants.
Also, the remarks that you get, probably wont be insulting, more likely they will be matter of fact as others have said. ANd from adults, you will probably only hear them say something about your size if you gain or loose a noticable amount of weight.
Woman sometimes get squeezed in inapropriate places by curious children, but that probably wont be a result of your size, believe me... men get touched by kids too. I have become an innapropriate touching self defense ninja.

[word]

I think it's different for every person, depending on your measurements. Most of the Japanese men's clothing is slim cut, which means that I often find that I need to check shirts carefully, because they might be the right size across the chest and arms, but they still pull across the shoulders and with half my shirts I can't comfortably close the top button to wear a tie (it feels like I'm being strangled). The shirts are rarely cut on the bias, so I also end up with the tightness across the biceps, and the shirts tend to taper slightly towards the bottom, which exaggerates my gut.

Are you me? This is what happens to me just about every time I try to wear a Japanese shirt.

Y'know, it's hard to talk about issues like this and it is a touchy subject. But, I'm glad we have the forums here where we can express our experiences and opinions. Looking at my previous comment, I didn't express what I meant in exactly the right way and I can see why people would think it was a little preachy, but I know you can understand what I meant.

Well, you're more polite than me. I'll say it. In my opinion, if you are overweight (and most certainly if you are obese), you should be making a sincere, meaningful effort to change your body for the better. If you are part of the ~1% of people who suffer from some sort of medical condition that makes you truly incapable of losing weight, then you have my sympathy, but odds are you aren't really a part of that group (even if you think you are). Overweight people are more likely to suffer health problems, are more likely to die at a younger age, have a larger carbon footprint, and consume more medications than non-overweight individuals. Studies have shown that vaccines are less effective for overweight individuals. There are countless reasons why one should attempt to improve one's health, we all know it, and treating the subject with kid gloves is the height of foolishness. If you're fat and you know it--change it!

At a prefectural meeting earlier this year, someone put up a slide of SKE48 which was greeted with no less than two "anorexia" comments by some of the noticeably larger members of the audience. I was appalled. How pathetic are we Westerners, to have become so wrapped up with the politically appropriate way to interact with overweight individuals that it has become acceptable to publicly jeer at healthy individuals? Disgusting. Statistically speaking, less than .5% of the American population suffers from anorexia (that's a high estimate, too (SCDoMH)). On the other hand, 34% of the American population is obese! An additional 34% is overweight (CDC; 2008-09)! Yet, it's apparently acceptable to criticize a thin person for being unhealthy. Ridiculous. It's high time we pulled our heads out of the sand, took a good look in the mirror, put down the Snickers bar and hit the gym.

If you're sensitive about your weight, get over it. The sooner you can face the facts about your body, the sooner you'll be able to start changing it for the better.

[phoenixphreak]

I think it's different for every person, depending on your measurements. Most of the Japanese men's clothing is slim cut, which means that I often find that I need to check shirts carefully, because they might be the right size across the chest and arms, but they still pull across the shoulders and with half my shirts I can't comfortably close the top button to wear a tie (it feels like I'm being strangled). The shirts are rarely cut on the bias, so I also end up with the tightness across the biceps, and the shirts tend to taper slightly towards the bottom, which exaggerates my gut.

Are you me? This is what happens to me just about every time I try to wear a Japanese shirt.

Y'know, it's hard to talk about issues like this and it is a touchy subject. But, I'm glad we have the forums here where we can express our experiences and opinions. Looking at my previous comment, I didn't express what I meant in exactly the right way and I can see why people would think it was a little preachy, but I know you can understand what I meant.

Well, you're more polite than me. I'll say it. In my opinion, if you are overweight (and most certainly if you are obese), you should be making a sincere, meaningful effort to change your body for the better. If you are part of the ~1% of people who suffer from some sort of medical condition that makes you truly incapable of losing weight, then you have my sympathy, but odds are you aren't really a part of that group (even if you think you are). Overweight people are more likely to suffer health problems, are more likely to die at a younger age, have a larger carbon footprint, and consume more medications than non-overweight individuals. Studies have shown that vaccines are less effective for overweight individuals. There are countless reasons why one should attempt to improve one's health, we all know it, and treating the subject with kid gloves is the height of foolishness. If you're fat and you know it--change it!

At a prefectural meeting earlier this year, someone put up a slide of SKE48 which was greeted with no less than two "anorexia" comments by some of the noticeably larger members of the audience. I was appalled. How pathetic are we Westerners, to have become so wrapped up with the politically appropriate way to interact with overweight individuals that it has become acceptable to publicly jeer at healthy individuals? Disgusting. Statistically speaking, less than .5% of the American population suffers from anorexia (that's a high estimate, too (SCDoMH)). On the other hand, 34% of the American population is obese! An additional 34% is overweight (CDC; 2008-09)! Yet, it's apparently acceptable to criticize a thin person for being unhealthy. Ridiculous. It's high time we pulled our heads out of the sand, took a good look in the mirror, put down the Snickers bar and hit the gym.

If you're sensitive about your weight, get over it. The sooner you can face the facts about your body, the sooner you'll be able to start changing it for the better.

+1 to both parts

[Norsehawk]

If I do get selected for JET, I know that I will need to more than likely pay a lot of money to get stuff the right size for me. I am overweight, which I am working on, but I also around 190cm tall (hope I did the conversion right) as well as having small naval vessels for shoes, (US size 13)

When I went to Japan last time, I definitely needed to watch my head. One house in Tokyo that I visited for a party had the doorway to the upstairs room not even come up to my neck. I also had to bow while getting on/off the trains or I would end up with a bad headache as well.

[Jax]

To be fair to the people commenting about other people being too thin, there is such a thing as being *too* thin. There's thin healthy and then too thin which can be unhealthy and it is a problem, especially in Japan.

Just so I have something to quote from: http://ir.nul.nagoya-u.ac.jp/jspui/bits ... /k8891.pdf
According to this, 20% of Japanese women are underweight and it's considered a health problem in Japan. Kinda the opposite of the US, right? So there is some truth to comments about seeing someone too thin. In most cases a thin person is healthy, but sometimes they're not. So Word, you might want to consider this next time you hear someone comment on how someone is too thin. They might be right.

[AVN]

I think it's different for every person, depending on your measurements. Most of the Japanese men's clothing is slim cut, which means that I often find that I need to check shirts carefully, because they might be the right size across the chest and arms, but they still pull across the shoulders and with half my shirts I can't comfortably close the top button to wear a tie (it feels like I'm being strangled). The shirts are rarely cut on the bias, so I also end up with the tightness across the biceps, and the shirts tend to taper slightly towards the bottom, which exaggerates my gut.

Are you me? This is what happens to me just about every time I try to wear a Japanese shirt.

Y'know, it's hard to talk about issues like this and it is a touchy subject. But, I'm glad we have the forums here where we can express our experiences and opinions. Looking at my previous comment, I didn't express what I meant in exactly the right way and I can see why people would think it was a little preachy, but I know you can understand what I meant.

Well, you're more polite than me. I'll say it. In my opinion, if you are overweight (and most certainly if you are obese), you should be making a sincere, meaningful effort to change your body for the better. If you are part of the ~1% of people who suffer from some sort of medical condition that makes you truly incapable of losing weight, then you have my sympathy, but odds are you aren't really a part of that group (even if you think you are). Overweight people are more likely to suffer health problems, are more likely to die at a younger age, have a larger carbon footprint, and consume more medications than non-overweight individuals. Studies have shown that vaccines are less effective for overweight individuals. There are countless reasons why one should attempt to improve one's health, we all know it, and treating the subject with kid gloves is the height of foolishness. If you're fat and you know it--change it!

At a prefectural meeting earlier this year, someone put up a slide of SKE48 which was greeted with no less than two "anorexia" comments by some of the noticeably larger members of the audience. I was appalled. How pathetic are we Westerners, to have become so wrapped up with the politically appropriate way to interact with overweight individuals that it has become acceptable to publicly jeer at healthy individuals? Disgusting. Statistically speaking, less than .5% of the American population suffers from anorexia (that's a high estimate, too (SCDoMH)). On the other hand, 34% of the American population is obese! An additional 34% is overweight (CDC; 2008-09)! Yet, it's apparently acceptable to criticize a thin person for being unhealthy. Ridiculous. It's high time we pulled our heads out of the sand, took a good look in the mirror, put down the Snickers bar and hit the gym.

If you're sensitive about your weight, get over it. The sooner you can face the facts about your body, the sooner you'll be able to start changing it for the better.

Wow... So you have some good points in there but you have some really ridiculous assumptions in there.
The main one being skinny = healthy. It does not. In no way. I am not saying that is good to be overweight and I agree that obesity can be a problem but I also think you're making far too many generalizations.
I am technically overweight but many of my skinny coworkers admit I am much healthier than they are. I exercise regularly, including participating in a cycle-thon. I try to eat well, I'm not perfect 100% of the time but I try really hard. I don't eat large portions.
Some of my skinny friends, many of them coworkers here, do not exercise regularly, if at all, eat conbini bentos all the time and do not cook for themselves. They admire my fitness and yet I admire their size.
I know I could work harder but the only time I was ever able to lose a lot of weight was when I worked out for over 2 hours a day, and ate tiny (I really do mean small) portions of healthy food. I had to stop this when I started working but the doctors, even here, have still told me that I am healthy despite my weight.
I know this is not always the case but I would like to remind people that it is possible to be healthy and overweight, it is also possible to be unhealthy and skinny. These may be exceptions but just be careful making such sweeping generalizations about people. It's easy to judge when you don't live their life.

I think if you toned down some of the generalizations you do have some good points in there. I'm not denying that.

[GunmaBrentPA]

As a *ahem* heavier guy I fell I should through some comments in here.

Clothes:
I can find t-shirts and the like, but I've all but stopped looking for anything else locally. The few big-tall stores aren't convenient enough and I know the brands/sizes I like so I can fairly safely order online. As some have mentioned it isn't always the size, it's the dimensions. Shirts can fit, but will be two short. Too often I've seen men's pants that almost seem like maternity wear: plenty of room for a belly but pencil sized legs. It's been a while, but last time I looked for a belt at a locally store, nothing even came close.

For what it's worth, while I'm certainly carting around some unnecessary weight, I also think it is fair to say I also have a larger frame/different dimensions from what is considered "standard Japanese size" if such a thing exists.

Comments:
My weight has been talked about more than I would really care for it to be. Partly because I'm likely too sensitive, partly because it might be a cultural difference. I've had co-workers/club members comment about any fluctuation in weight (especially if it gets heavier). People I've just met have talked about my size and given me belly pats and the like. This his happened not only at bars but also at visit schools (from kids and teachers). Not everyone does this, and while I'm sure there are differences some folk are just jerks and yes, there are even those who think because you are a foreigner they can act in a way they wouldn't to other Japanese. Growing a thick skin is necessary.

Other:
Personally, I am trying to lose weight. I feel much better than I did even 6 months ago. I'd recommend anyone who also classifies themselves as "heavy" (as I do) to lose weight as well.

However, when it comes to adjusting to life in Japan and not just general health, I would take a look at how much of an active lifestyle you have. ESID and all that, but I do think based on my experiences that being prepared to be active is essential. At a bare minimum you should be prepared to walk/ride a bike 3 km (one way) in order to do everyday things like grocery shopping, renting a movie, going to a train station. I know that there are very active plus sized people who well scoff at such short distances being considered a challenge, but I also know that for me when I first came to Japan riding a bike for 3 km was not second nature the way it is now.

[ZacharyFukuiPA]

Hello,
Just to add a bit to the talk of BMI. It's not a reliable measure of ideal weight for anyone with any amount of muscle as muscle is more dense and, thus, heavier than fat. If you look at the BMIs of many Olympic level athletes, especially in fields such as wrestling or weight lifting, their BMIs often exceed what the standard says is "obese". Also, when you visit a doctor in Japan or hear about health standards in conversation here keep in mind that people are used to a body frame and a standard that is most likely different than in your country. Everyone in my office had a physical checkup back in August during which I was told an ideal weight somewhat lower than what is actually healthy for me. The standard body frame they based the weight on was the Japanese slim and slender standard and not the stockier standard of people from my background. Were I to achieve the weight the check up prescribed me, I would have to lose some muscle mass.

So, basically, with talk of health and weight, find what's comfortable and appropriate for yourself and don't worry too much about hearsay or even some of the general standards you might hear about. Also, like others have said many times, you need a thick skin here. People are very blunt with talk of weight, and it often is very irrational. In the same week I've had a neighbor say, "man, you've lost a lot of weight" and a student say, "why are you so fat?" It's just idle chatter more than anything else: a way to start a conversation. (for the record, Height: 178cm Weight: 80 kg, athletic frame)

[word]

So there is some truth to comments about seeing someone too thin.

If someone is TOO thin, sure. Why is it that it's acceptable (in the US) to say "Oh, dear, you look unhealthily thin" but not to say "Oh, dear, you look unhealthily fat"?

In most cases a thin person is healthy, but sometimes they're not.

I agree completely. Which is a bigger (teehee) problem in the Western world?

So Word, you might want to consider this next time you hear someone comment on how someone is too thin. They might be right.

In this case, they weren't. I don't know if it was jealousy, denial, or delusion, but the comments were ridiculous in this particular instance. If the reverse had been true--say, someone had put up a picture of, oh, I dunno, let's say Lady Gaga, and I had said "Oh, how fat she is! She must have a binge eating disorder"--I cannot even imagine what sort of fury I would have faced. This is a very disturbing double-standard in my book. If someone were just a little too fat, I think it's fairly safe to say they'd be justifiably offended if someone accused them of having an eating disorder. For some reason, the same logic doesn't seem to apply to people who are just a little too thin.

Wow... So you have some good points in there but you have some really ridiculous assumptions in there.

Where? Where did I assume anything, and why were they ridiculous? Every consequence of being overweight that I mentioned came from recent studies I've read. If you want, I will cite them all.

The main one being skinny = healthy.

Hey, I never said that!

I am technically overweight but many of my skinny coworkers admit I am much healthier than they are. I exercise regularly, including participating in a cycle-thon. I try to eat well, I'm not perfect 100% of the time but I try really hard. I don't eat large portions.
Some of my skinny friends, many of them coworkers here, do not exercise regularly, if at all, eat conbini bentos all the time and do not cook for themselves. They admire my fitness and yet I admire their size.
I know I could work harder but the only time I was ever able to lose a lot of weight was when I worked out for over 2 hours a day, and ate tiny (I really do mean small) portions of healthy food. I had to stop this when I started working but the doctors, even here, have still told me that I am healthy despite my weight.

That's cool; heck, I agree completely.

I know this is not always the case but I would like to remind people that it is possible to be healthy and overweight...

Eh, I dunno.... At best, it is an nice-sounding self-esteem booster (and demotivator); at worst, it is a dangerous generalization that may well contribute to the justification of an unhealthy lifestyle by an overweight person. "I'm too fat, but I'm still healthy." A fellow say that right up until the moment he's being dragged into the hospital for a triple bypass.

I suppose it depends on how one is using the word "healthy." If an overweight person is living a healthy lifestyle, then, sure, I could see how someone might refer to them as "healthy." Odds are high, however, that they didn't always live such a healthy lifestyle, otherwise they wouldn't be overweight. If you ignore a person's previous lifestyle, you could call anyone healthy as long as they were being healthy at that moment. "Oh, you're eating a salad today? You haven't smoked all week? You stopped binge drinking last month? You're so HEALTHY! I mean, sure, you've been a double-quarter-pounder-muching, chain-smoking, binge-drinking slug your whole life, but you've really turned things around!"

C'mon, guys. Let's keep it real. I admire anyone who's working on improving their health, in any manner whatsoever. I don't like denial, delusions, deliberate double-talk, double standards, or just outright jealousy.

...it is also possible to be unhealthy and skinny.

Of course! Just less likely, as Jax said.

These may be exceptions but just be careful making such sweeping generalizations about people. It's easy to judge when you don't live their life.

I still don't think I made any sweeping generalizations. We all judge one another, though; we can't really help it. It's the human condition.

I think if you toned down some of the generalizations you do have some good points in there. I'm not denying that.

I'm a huge horse's butt; I make my points in an obnoxious and troll-esque manner, and I know it. Believe it or not, this sort of talk helps keep me motivated to improve my own health, so I enjoy doing it. Also, there's a long and sad story behind my attitude about this sort of thing, so try not to judge me too harshly. If you'd lived my life, you'd probably hate fat people even worse than I do.