This is the reason that makes Japanese children walk differently from others

A study conducted on school children in Japan found that their way of walking is different from that of the rest of the world's children, and the reasons for this are related to culture - but also to the food they eat

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22/08/2022

Monday, August 22, 2022, 06:07 Updated: 07:32

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The healthiest people in the world.

Japanese children on their way to school (Photo: ShutterStock)

We have already written quite a bit here about the fact that the people of Japan are probably the healthiest people in the world.

But according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Japanese children also walk differently than children from other countries, due to their healthy diet.

"We believe that differences in lifestyle, body structure and cultural factors affect the gait of Japanese children," says lead editor Dr. Tadashi Ito, from Nagoya University. "This is not expected to affect the health of Japanese children.

But it does point to different characteristics from those of children in other countries." Their findings showed abnormalities such as feet turned inward and rotational deviations in the lower limbs - features that occur when the feet do not extend the leg symmetrically.

Another significant reason could be the national school meal plan, an integral part of Japanese children's daily life for over a hundred years, which includes rice balls and grilled fish.

The meals are made from local ingredients, such as baked cod fish with sweet corn and bok choy, served with minestrone soup and a carton of milk.

Ito and his colleagues analyzed three-dimensional data recorded by markers attached to the participants' lower limbs.

Walking is a complex, unconscious and essential motor pattern for most daily activities.

It consists of a sequence of movements involving the hip, knee and foot.

From a medical perspective, walking is critical to measuring quality of life and health.

fish and rice.

Japanese bento lunch box (photo: Yael Laor)

The study was based on 424 students from two elementary schools.

The findings showed different patterns according to age: for example, there was an increase in walking pace, the number of steps taken in one minute, among 11 and 12 year olds compared to 6 to 8 year olds. The results also reveal a decrease in steps in the first group compared to 9 and 10 year olds.

who also showed less range of motion of the knee during walking.

As the children grew older, a higher plantar flexion of the foot was observed - the movement that is made in the ankle joint when the toes are pointed at the beginning of the walking movement.

"These results provide an important tool for evaluating normal and pathological gait and can determine the effectiveness of orthopedic treatment and rehabilitation for gait disorders," adds Ito.

The main food of Japan is rice.

The advantage of rice, preferably brown or partially milled rice, is that it is rich in water when cooked, airy and has a much lower caloric density than bread or pasta.

The satisfying rice may also remove less healthy foods from the menu, reducing the total number of calories eaten per day.

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• parenthood

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• Japan

• diet

• Children

• Nutrition during pregnancy