James

It's because they aren't fat.
I work at a Japanese auto part company around dozens of them, many having lived here a long time and not once have I ever seen a fat Japanese. I look around the room at work and I only see one or two Americans who aren't at least pudgy.

How can it bee that the most consumptive country in the world, second only to the US and now China in GDP, not be fat? Is it because they prefer fish to bacon? Is it because they are generally more disciplined and so don't overindulge?

Yes. And it's a lot of other qualities too. The Japanese have a deeply ingrained sense of equality which hasn't allowed for the cultivation of a food system where corporate profit always trumps all, even the welfare of your customers.

They will cooperate with each other, they will plan and over-plan to the last detail, they will make sure everybody at least gets some and that nobody gets any more than anybody else.