{"id":614,"date":"2026-06-05T12:47:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/?p=614"},"modified":"2026-06-30T12:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:54:05","slug":"a-healthy-way-to-eat-hara-hachi-bu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/a-healthy-way-to-eat-hara-hachi-bu\/","title":{"rendered":"A healthy way to eat: Hara hachi bu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japan is one of the healthiest nations on earth and the life expectancy of the Japanese ranks among the highest. Low obesity rates and active everyday lives contribute to this record. Of course, much also depends on the Japanese diet. However, the is also another important factor at work, known as <\/span>hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu<\/span><\/i>. It stands for finishing the meal when one is about 80% full. In other words, it encourages people to stop taking in food before they feel stuffed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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To do so the Japanese use smaller plates, which naturally reduces\u00a0portion\u00a0sizes. Another tactic is serving food only once without coming back for more. Alternatively, eating slowly allows the body and the brain to trigger a feeling of fullness. In addition,\u00a0avoiding such\u00a0distractions as watching television and using the phone make it easier for people to stay focused on their meals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The term \u2018blue zones\u2019 refers to five locations worldwide where people often live to be over 100 years old. One of these areas is Okinawa, Japan. People there follow a unique diet which is high in vegetables and low in calories.\u00a0Okinawans also often exercise, in particular while gardening.\u00a0<\/span>Hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is a typical eating habit among Okinawans.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stopping at 80% fullness naturally lowers the calorie intake without the need for strict dieting. In this way, keeping a healthy body weight can be achieved by consuming fewer calories during each meal. Academic research links\u00a0<\/span>hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu<\/span><\/i>\u00a0to\u00a0less\u00a0overeating, calorie restriction, slower eating, and improved awareness of hunger and fullness.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, associating\u00a0<\/span>hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu<\/span><\/i>\u00a0on<\/span>ly with diet and health would not do justice to the concept. It is not only about counting calories. Hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu\u00a0rather\u00a0is\u00a0part of\u00a0a\u00a0culturally embedded philosophy of life aimed at becoming more conscious of one’s relationship with food.\u00a0Underlying it is the need\u00a0for\u00a0self-discipline.\u00a0The practice encourages mindful decision-making, greater appreciation of food, and increased awareness of eating \u2018comfort food\u2019.\u00a0 It should be combined which\u00a0stimulating\u00a0mental health, engaging in physical activity, following a balanced diet, investing in social connections, and developing a sense of purpose in life, called\u00a0<\/span>ikigai<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0By focusing\u00a0on moderation rather than restriction, it becomes a natural part of\u00a0one’s\u00a0mindset which\u00a0assists\u00a0people in staying healthy throughout their lives.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bronnen:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Shirai T, Tsushita K. Lifestyle\u00a0Medicine\u00a0and Japan’s Longevity Miracle. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2024 Mar 19;18(4):598-607.\u00a0doi: 10.1177\/15598276241234012. PMID: 39262888; PMCID: PMC11384843.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cole, A., (2025) \u201cFood for Thought: An Exploration of Mindful Eating\u201d,\u00a0<\/span>ASIANetwork\u00a0Exchange A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts<\/span><\/i>\u00a029(2).\u00a0doi:\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.16995\/ane.11608<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ontdek de blue zones: Geheimen van lang en gezond leven – fysiotherapie4all<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321.\u00a0doi: 10.1177\/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Top 10 Healthiest Countries in the World in 2026 For Long & Healthy Living – Global Health Care Magazine<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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international Health Policy Center, Japan – Common Wealth fund<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What are the Worlds Healthiest Countries – April International\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Is it healthier to only eat until you\u2019re 80% full? The Japanese philosophy of hara hachi bu – The Conversation<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Japan is one of the healthiest nations on earth and the life expectancy of the Japanese ranks among the highest. Low obesity rates and active everyday lives contribute to this record. Of course, much also depends on the Japanese diet. However, the is also another important factor at work, known as hara\u00a0hachi\u00a0bu. It stands for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgM5DJ-9U","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-27.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=614"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":617,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614\/revisions\/617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pionaculture.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}