The percentage of people who report gaining weight in Japan fell this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, a company survey showed on Wednesday, as physical activities increased amid easing restrictions. .
The percentage of people who had gained weight compared to a year ago stood at 22.9 percent in 2023, up from 26.0 percent the year before, breaking a trend that saw the number increase annually since 2020 , according to Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co.
The drop likely reflects that people have had more opportunities to be active since the lifting of coronavirus restrictions, a company official said.
Of the 5,640 respondents between the ages of 20 and 70, 38.4 percent said they started exercising to improve their health during the pandemic, which began about three years ago, according to the online survey conducted in July.
File photo taken in June 2022 showing people running through the Tokyo Imperial Palace. (Kyodo)
Among them, 85.1 percent said they continued to exercise, with walking, jogging and running being the most popular sports, followed by cycling and golf.
Additionally, 13.1 percent said they felt less stressed after the Japanese government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same as seasonal flu in May, while 15.3 percent reported a increased stress after the measurement.
The most common reason cited by people who reported experiencing less or more stress was “having more opportunities to meet people,” according to the survey.
“People’s views on connecting with others are increasingly polarized,” the official said.
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