Cross-posted in a somewhat less angry tone on Displaying Japan.
A few weeks ago, I traveled to a village in rural Kumamoto prefecture to play taiko at a festival there. After our performance we unwound at a community center, where a pair of posters caught my eye:
As an ardent advocate for dietary fiber, I was initially thrilled to see this kind of pro-roughage propaganda, titled Shokumotsu Sen’i de Seijinbyō Yobō 食物繊維で成人病予防 (Prevention of Adult Diseases through Dietary Fiber). The poster on the left mostly enumerates the health benefits of fiber (impedes the absorption of cholesterol, sugars, and toxins; helps prevent high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and colon cancer; and of course, it keeps us nice and regular). The second poster discusses the difference between soluble and insoluble fibers and ways to get enough of both kinds. Awesome.
But I was less pleased when I took a closer look and noticed this:
Under a heading that says “Reasons for the decline of dietary fiber intake among Japanese people,” here we have an arrow leading from “dietary Westernization” to “insufficient fiber.”
Say what?! (more…)
