世論 What Japan Thinks

With summer soon upon us, MyVoice surveyed its internet community to see what they thought about dieting. 13,710 people completed the private internet-based questionnaire, with 54% of the sample female, 3% in their teens, 22% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 24% in their forties, and 12% in their fifties. This is one survey where I’d love to see the results split by sex, but not so much that I want to pay 36,750 yen for the full report!

Of course, whether or not any of the one in five who were dieting really need to is another question; shaping up exercises or even just posture lessons is all the help the average Japanese person needs. I see too many borderline (or even over the edge) anorexic-looking women here; there’s few things I find more off-putting than seeing a woman with less meat on their legs than in a KFC party bucket staggering about in a pair of too-high-heels with toes turned in, knees forward and bum back to counterbalance, half tripping ever other step as their ankles buckle under the strain.

Q1: Do you pay attention to your figure? (Sample size=13,710)

Pay a lot of attention to it	39.5%
Pay some attention to it	41.0%
Don’t really pay much attention	12.4%
Don’t pay any attention at all	7.1%

Q2: Which part of your body do you pay attention to? (Sample size=13,710, multiple answer)

Stomach in general	66.0%
Abdomen	44.9%
Thighs	44.8%
Upper arms	35.3%
Bottom	34.1%
Face (cheeks, double chin, etc)	30.7%
Love handles	30.2%
Calves	25.6%
Chest	15.4%
Other	4.2%
Nowhere in particular	7.1%
No answer	0.1%

Q3: Have you ever dieted? (Sample size=13,710)

Currently dieting (to Q4, Q5)	18.9%
Have dieted (to Q4, Q5)	40.5%
Never dieted	40.0%
No answer	0.6%

Q4: Which of the following do you think were effective when you have been dieting? (Sample size=those who have dieted, multiple answer)

Reducing intake of food	59.5%
Walking, aerobics, or sports	54.5%
Taking into consideration calories or balanced meals	36.2%
Effective for diet food or drink	17.9%
Diet medicines or supplements	17.3%
Drinking lots of water	15.6%
Reducing number of meals	12.0%
Fasting	8.2%
Using diet apparatus	7.3%
Germanium bath or stone sauna	4.7%
Diet esthetics	3.7%
Cosmetic surgery	0.4%
Used other diet method	5.1%
Nothing in particular	5.7%
No answer	0.3%

Q5: Which of the following do you think were ineffective when you have been dieting? (Sample size=those who have dieted, multiple answer)

Diet medicines or supplements	26.7%
Reducing intake of food	20.1%
Effective for diet food or drink	19.3%
Reducing number of meals	15.5%
Fasting	10.8%
Using diet apparatus	7.6%
Drinking lots of water	6.7%
Walking, aerobics, or sports	5.6%
Taking into consideration calories or balanced meals	4.0%
Diet esthetics	3.8%
Germanium bath or stone sauna	1.9%
Cosmetic surgery	0.4%
Used other diet method	2.2%
Nothing in particular	32.5%
No answer	1.7%