I got full blood tests every 3 months including for kidney disease. If the results showed markers of kidney disease, I’d get a phone call from the health department and if I ignored those, a home visit from someone there. Such things may sound draconian to westerners, but generally following guidelines or even orders is, IMHO, one of the things that keeps Japan a more harmonious place to live.
But as much as it pains me to admit it, Japan has far too many sheeple.
Intriguing.
US healthcare is all I’ve experienced.
I’m not sure I’d like a nanny even if their diagnosis was correct.
Thank you for that glimpse into a different society. Fascinating.
You’re welcome. After living there for nearly 20 years and working for major Japanese companies in the US for 10 years, I both learned and experienced a lot about what Japanese society is and how it does and doesn’t work.
It gives one great perspective to have lived in different countries, for sure.
From the experience of my half-century ago student days, an observation: you get to know a country when you have to go grocery shopping there and prepare your own food.
I mean, it’s def part of it. Learning the lingua franca is important, and indefinitely better to do so on location, ideally where nobody knows your native language.
There was kind of a corollary for me, sometimes, for self preservation: try to not let people know that you’re an American (we’re talking 60’s - 70’s timeline; I don’t know what the current atmosphere is; I suspect hostile). Some places obviously would be impossible; others (where I knew a bit of the language) I did a better job of blending in (don’t dress like an American tourist 
) because people would ask me what time it was or for directions. I like immersive, low-key.
I agree that BMI is a tool.
I’m a white woman with a very small bone frame and a massive amount of fat.
I walk around 5 miles a day.
I have a dietician, I keep track, but theory and practice are 2 different things.
My blood work is much better when my BMI is closer to 25.
I looked and felt great when my BMI was 22.
Eating too many snacks after a fairly healthy dinner, is my coping mechanism.
According to the Met Life tables, also based on white people’s sickness and death rates : weight studies (in layman’s terms), I should be 120- 133 lbs to be a healthy weight. At least the BMI gave me a bigger window of 120-150 lbs, if I could stay under 25 BMI.
I’ve been dealing with 4 health issues, and 2 of them would be less of an issue if I could have kept my weight to less than 150 lbs over the past 10 years.
I managed to lose 10 lbs last spring. After dealing with some uncertainty with some new medical issues, I put on the weight I lost then gained 5 more lbs between August and the end of February, which brings me to a BMI of 30- 30.5 or 185 lbs. I’ve been hovering between 180 and 185 lbs for the past 2 months.
15 lbs heavier than I was 10 months ago, 60 lbs more than I was in my 20s. I’ve been tracking my weight daily for close to 17 years. 
Every summer until last, upon landing in Berlin I would txt 3 people: my mom, my sister, and my oldest friend from HS. It was weird not sending my mom a message today. Arriving at our pad that not-so-faintly reeks of stale smoke (the carpets especially), I was once again tempted to pick up the phone and tell her about it.
I remember I used to see things and think “I should pick that up for dad, he’d really like it.” I think it’s a good thing that we feel so close to our loved ones that we sometimes forget they’re no longer with us.
The last time I saw my sister in 2008, my mother was alive (albeit in the hospital). And the apartment I’m staying at is my sister’s, but she used to share it with our mother. On top of that, I’m sleeping in what used to be my mother’s room (thankfully not on her bed).
In my multiple attempts (not always a success) to clean much of this apartment (which is often difficult because of my sister), I’ve come across some of our mother’s things and my sister and I have been reminiscing. And we found Mallomars at Grocery Outlet the other day ($1.99 a box!)…those were my late father’s favorite cookies. More reminiscing occurred…
I hope your visit to Germany is filled with pleasant memories, @linguafood 
I know the feeling, even after many years. Sorry.
What’s on my mind is 1) how excited I am that Your Fat Friend (Jeannie Finlay, 2023) is finally getting wider release and 2) how much I think certain HOs would be benefited by watching.
I’ve seen it, it’s excellent and also very ethically made in terms of how participants were treated (including during the festival circuit). But Jeanie Finlay is that way.
I think that ship might’ve sailed. But thx for sharing. So, it streams on the site directly?
My guess is yes, but I don’t know how it will be delivered through Jolt.
Yesterday, neighbor #2 was having a few issues with her stomach and keeping food down.
She asked for MISO soup, as she has been able to keep that down in the past. I had no idea how to make Miso Soup nor how to get the ingredients. Luckily, my local Target had some instant Miso soup (just add water) which she enjoyed and kept down.
I know nothing about Miso soup or its properties for settling an upset stomach, but it worked.
Hopefully today is a better day. I had spaghetti and meatballs planned for dinner tonight, but may have to change gears as I’m worried about the acidity in the tomato sauce.
I know all things on this earth are connected, but I don’t know if I’d shed a tear if the (insert the most vile expletive you can imagine) black flies suddenly disappeared.
Guess they “only” had to put 2 horses down at the Kenfuckingtucky derby this year vs. 12 last year.
What a shit excuse for a “sporting event.” 
