Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

If you are male and have male Korean friends, you will find yourself going to beer hofs, BBQ places, and samgyeopsal places to eat, drink, and talk.

I find that I am gaining weight in Korea due to beer, fried foods, fatty meats, and not getting excersize on weekdays as well as consuming most at night.

Now the Korean men do the same thing, but they don't gain weight and are slim where they have a 26 to 30 inch waistline. I added 4 inches in 9 months! I used to eat American food, but didn't gain weight like I do in Korea and have never been 40 pounds over weight for my ideal weight for my height and I sure feel like a heavy sack of potatoes as I move myself around all day long.

How do they keep the weight off and consume all these calories 5 to 7 nights a week? I know these guys are not working out other than weekend mountain hikes, but they are skinny and limber.

[da_moler]

That is a very good question.

I have often wondered about it too.

Eating fattening side dishes with every drink, etc., how do they stay so thin?

I assume they just have a different/faster metabolism?

[JustJohn]

Mountains burn a lot of calories for one thing. Also, good amounts of any moderate activity like walking and beating on students will boost your metabolism. Also many small meals as opposed to a few large ones will boost it.

The higher your metabolism the more calories you burn. If they really do eat just as much and don't gain weight then they're doing something to boost it.

[ajgeddes]

Easy, they barf it all up every night after drinking so much soju.

Or, probably closer to reality, they do this once or twice a week and every other night eat something much healthier.

[Gwangjuboy]

There are lots of slightly overweight Korean guys out there too. Although it often looks as though Korean men do nothing but eat meat and drink beer almost every night that's not really the case. The women surprise me more because they really do spend a lot of time drinking. (usually on the dating circuit when they don't have to pay)

[kat2]

In general, I odn't know how the heck Koreans stay so thin. Whenever I'm out with them, it seems like they are eating their weight in food. Although, that is usually because someone else is paying. From my conversations with them, it seems they mainly eat rice, kimchi, and some thing soup at home. So, i think this keeps their calorie count down and hten they can eat two plates of fried chicken, samgyeopsal, and ten beers without gaining much.

[RACETRAITOR]

I'd assume growing up in famine had something to do with it.

[Mix1]

May have to do with the volume that they actually eat, as well as genetics.

But it is a mystery in some ways. I always see them ordering ramen noodles , fried rice, dokbokki, etc. and most of them are still slim. On top of that, many go to PC rooms for hours on end. If I did any of that I'd be 20 kg overweight for sure.

But, most of them smoke too, so maybe that helps a bit. Also, even if they eat like crap, most of them have a pretty good vegetable intake as well (kimchi, etc.). Korean food on the whole is healthy stuff.

[Scotticus]

[aaabank]

simple answer: kimchi must increase metabolism

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Visits to spas and gyms seem to reveal that Korean men aren't really that super-trim and a lot of them have a few pounds. I think the real question is why do western men, in particular Canadian, British, and most especially American men, get so fat? I think a lot of it may have to do with sleeping in and not eating a proper breakfast, snacking while watching TV, eating way the hell too much deep fried potatoes (and a terrible combination of fat, salt, and sugar), and preferring beer as their drink of choice.

[Dome Vans]

[Dome Vans]

Actually I have heard of it before. "Limber up!"

[ajgeddes]

[Dome Vans]