THOSE of us seduced by Naomi Moriyama's book Japanese Woman Don't Get Fat or Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchenmay have to look elsewhere for weight-loss tips.

Concerns are growing about Japan's rising obesity crisis, as younger generations are ignoring the traditional foods such as fish, vegetables and miso soup in favour of instant noodles and fried food.

Japanese men have grown heavier in the last two decades, as have middle-aged women, although young, fashion-conscious woman are usually underweight. This obesity trend has been linked to an increase in diabetes and high blood pressure and the Japanese government has responded by releasing a new nutritional chart that encourages increased consumption of rice and vegetables, while cutting down on meat. Experts warn that if measures are not taken to improve eating patterns, Japan's reputation for long life expectancy (86 years for women, 79 years for men) is threatened.

Making Your Mind Up

CAN'T decide what to have for dinner? Don't know what model car to buy? You could flip a coin but successful decision-making lies in getting the information you need, forgetting about it for a while and then trusting your gut instincts. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have come to this conclusion after conducting experiments focusing on how people make clever shopping decisions. They found that decisions can be divided into two categories: tough ones, such as buying a house or a car and simple ones, like choosing a bar of chocolate. When the decision is simple, thinking about it hard works well but when it's complex, focusing too much on the decision is not the best approach. Professor Ap Dijksterhuis, who headed the study, said: "Your brain is capable of juggling lots of facts and possibilities at the same time when you let it work without specifically thinking about the decision. But when you are specifically thinking about a problem, your brain isn't able to weigh up as much information. I sit on things and rely on my gut."

Till death us do part

PEOPLE are often described as 'pining away' after the death of a loved one and now a new study has confirmed that the hospitalisation or death of a spouse can have a serious effect on the well-being his or her partner. The nine-year study involved over one million people, aged between 65 and 98 and the results indicated that when a spouse is hospitalised, the partner's risk of death increases significantly and remains elevated for up to two years, with the greatest risk period occurring within 30 days of the hospitalisation or death. Professor Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School said, "When a spouse falls ill or dies, partners may increase harmful behaviour such as drinking. Stress and a lack of social support may also adversely affect the immune system, so spousal hospitalisation may have effects on partners."