The Okinawan Secret to Long Life

HEALTH | DIET & NUTRITION | LONGEVITY

Eat until you’re 80% full

Today, we’re traveling to the island of Okinawa, Japan whose inhabitants are known to live exceptionally long and healthy lives.

Consider that for every 100,000 inhabitants in Okinawa, there are 68 centenarians (people who live up to the age of 100). This is three times more than the US!

So, what are the Okinawans doing to live longer? One secret is their attitude toward food and eating:

They have a saying "Hara hachi bu" which translates to “Stop eating when you're 80% full.”

This idea of not eating until you’re absolutely stuffed falls in line with the medical concept of ‘caloric restriction’ which has been studied to be great for heart health, weight loss, and yes, longevity.¹

By the way, Okinawa is one of 5 designated ‘blue zones’ whose citizens live longer than average lifespans. We’ll continue to cover some of the other Blue Zone’s secrets for a long and healthy life in future editions!

Keypoint: To live longer, eat less; Follow the Okinawans’ example of eating until you’re 80% full.

Our next point is a bit more serious but can be very helpful (even potentially life-saving) if you are caught in a dangerous situation.

PSYCHOLOGY | SAFETY TIPS

Don’t fall victim to the ‘Bystander Effect’

As humans, we can sometimes be terrible at helping others even if we want to.

Consider the tragic case of Kitty Genovese, who was murdered in 1964, as a classic example of the bystander effect. Many neighbors heard or saw the attack, yet failed to help or even call the police until it was too late.

From this incident, the term ‘bystander effect’ was coined by a couple of psychologists² to explain:

The more people there are in a situation, the less likely someone will step in to help.

It can be a bit surprising but this happens for two reasons:

1. Diffusion of responsibility - The more people around, each person feels less responsible because they think someone else will help.

2. Social influence - People look to what others around them are doing to decide how to behave.

A recent example of the bystander effect happened in 2021 when a passenger was sexually assaulted on a Philadelphia train with multiple witnesses present. As you might have guessed, no one stopped to help during the 30-minute assault.³

The lesson here is if you’re caught in a dangerous situation, don’t assume someone will help even if you’re surrounded by people.

In these cases, it is better to call out to one person specifically to help.

Examples:

• “You, call 911!”

• (Pointing to someone) “Please help me!”

Keypoint: If you’re caught in a dangerous situation with other people nearby, you should call out to one specific person for help.

We've covered a lot today, from the longevity secrets of Okinawa to the psychology of the Bystander Effect.

Remember, knowledge is power, but only if we apply it. So, try implementing the 'Hara Hachi Bu' practice in your meals and remember to act decisively in emergency situations.

Got any thoughts or questions? We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Until next time, stay curious and keep learning!

- Kevin and the Idle Impact Team

Dive Deeper with recommended reads:

• Eating until you’re 80% full:

  • Here’s a great resource with more info about “hara hachi bu” and eating until you’re 80% full

  • On this subject and more secrets from Japanese people’s longevity in the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

• Bystander Effect

  • Learn about the psychology behind the bystander effect

  • Here are some more examples of the bystander effect