腹八分目 – Fill the Belly only 80% for Health and Long Life

In order to have a long healthy life, it is important to have a balanced diet, exercise, drink water, and so on. I am not a health expert though so this is not medical advice. There is one concept in Japan though known as 腹八分目はらはちぶんめ. Let’s take a look

What does 腹八分目 mean?

腹八分目 is a word that represents the concept of not eating until stuffed. It is a concept that overeating and not eating too much is important for staying healthy and having a long life.

https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/

We can break down this word into two parts, 腹 which is belly, and 八分目 which is the fraction 8/10.

So, the basic idea is that if a full stomach equals 100% then only eat up to 80% full. This is obviously subjective but the point is to eat until you feel satisfied and not stuffed.

Resources

• 腹八分目 – Weblio
• 食べ物 – Food in Japanese