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July 12, 2026
 

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OBESITY

A surgeon fills a syringe with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and weight loss.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Jun 10, 2026
‘Thinness equals beauty’: Mounjaro misuse among women sparks health debate in Japan
The nation is one of the leanest in the world, making the misuse of the diabetes drug simply for weight loss that much more alarming.
Male participants line up to get weighed and have their waist measured at a local community center in Wuxi, in eastern China's Jiangsu province.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 17, 2026
Chinese slimmers trade lost fat for beef
Rising obesity rates have led to unusual weight-loss programs springing up across China.
More and more people are using Mounjaro, a drug used to treat diabetes, in the hopes of losing weight.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Jan 12, 2026
Doctors warn of risks of taking diabetes drug to lose weight
There have been reports of people experiencing adverse side effects, according to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency.
Gray wolves and ancient dire wolves diverged millions of years ago, yet groundbreaking efforts to resurrect the extinct species by modifying modern wolves cannot replace the lost ecosystems that once sustained it.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2025
Science still made incredible breakthroughs while under attack
Scientists around the world produced amazing discoveries every day — some of which made a big splash while others didn’t get nearly the attention they deserved.
A Novo Nordisk office in Bagsvaerd, on the outskirts of Copenhagen
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2025
Novo’s board bust-up to sharpen drugmaker’s focus on U.S. consumers
The Danish drugmaker that initially soared on the success of its obesity drug has lost its market lead to U.S. rival Eli Lilly and cheaper copycats.
Recent research shows obesity may be driven by ultraprocessed and hyperpalatable foods that disrupt fullness signals and lead to overeating.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2025
What if everything we think about obesity is wrong?
New research offers novel insight into the causes of overeating but it’s being lost to political posturing.
Chugai Pharmaceutical shares sank as much as 20% in Tokyo on Friday after a study revealed that an obesity drug it licensed to Eli Lilly & Co. resulted in lower weight loss and higher rates of nausea and vomiting than anticipated.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2025
Chugai stock drops the most since 1977 on disappointing obesity drug data
A study showed the drug, which it has licensed to Eli Lilly & Co., resulted in lower weight loss and higher rates of nausea and vomiting than anticipated.
Scientists say a recently published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions. The research may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 15, 2025
Japanese scientists discover clue to why women burn more fat than men
Scientists say their findings could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies.
According to the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity, 20% of women in their 20s in Japan are underweight, one of the highest rates among developed countries.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 10, 2025
Female Underweight/Undernutrition Syndrome to be classified disorder
According to one group, 20% of women in their 20s in Japan are underweight.
A University of Osaka study of more than 1,400 fourth-graders has found that children who chew poorly and eat quickly are significantly more likely to be obese.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 26, 2025
Study links poor chewing to higher obesity risk in children
The University of Osaka study involving over 1,400 fourth-graders is among the first to demonstrate a clear link between eating behavior and obesity risk in children.
Shares of Eli Lilly & Co. surged on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday after early reports of its experimental weight-loss drug put in a par with market leader Ozempic. The stocks of the drug’s originator, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., also saw an uptick.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 18, 2025
Weight-loss pill orforglipron shines in study, boosting Lilly and Chugai
Eli Lilly’s orforglipron pill, licensed from Chugai Pharmaceutical, could reshape the booming weight-loss drug market, early data shows.
A research team found that brown fat, which encourages the body to burn fat, tended to be more active among those conceived during the colder months, meaning they are less likely to gain weight.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 9, 2025
Japanese team finds people conceived in winter less likely to be overweight
The team analyzed the brown fat of 356 men between the ages of 18 and 29.
An event marking World Obesity Day in Brussels on March 6, 2024. Without a serious change, researchers estimate that 3.8 billion adults will be overweight or obese in 15 years — or around 60% of the global adult population in 2050.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 4, 2025
60% of adults will be overweight or obese by 2050, study says
Data from 204 countries paints a grim picture of a major health challenge facing the world.
Excess sugar intake — especially of sucrose, or table sugar — can lead to ailments such as obesity and diabetes.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 17, 2025
Researchers discover bacteria that can limit body’s sugar absorption
Researchers hope the findings will contribute to developing a new treatment method for obesity and diabetes.
A food delivery worker rides through Shenzhen's Futian district in May 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 3, 2024
China’s economic malaise seen accelerating obesity rates
Job stress, long work hours and poor diets are growing high-risk factors in cities, while in rural areas, agriculture work is becoming less physically demanding.
A government survey has found that 31.7% of men age 20 and older in Japan and 21% of women can be classed as obese.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 28, 2024
Obesity among Japanese men continuing to rise, government survey shows
The 2022 survey found that 31.7% of men age 20 and older had a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or higher.
Bottles of Coca-Cola inside a fridge in the Olympic Village.
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2024
Health experts urge Olympics to cut ties with Coca-Cola
Events at the Paris Games have been lined with advertising for the ubiquitous fizzy drinks of Coca-Cola, which has been sponsoring the Olympics since 1928.
Students receive school lunch at Senju Aoba Junior High School in Tokyo in June 2022.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 17, 2024
Obesity increased among children in Japan during pandemic
The study analyzed the health checkup data of about 186,000 people who graduated from junior high school between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2022.
A study has found that the share of people with high blood pressure increases as income decreases.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 6, 2024
Lower-income people more likely to have high blood pressure: study
The tendency seems to stem from alcohol consumption, obesity and lack of exercise.
Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk says the Japanese public needs to know more about obesity rates before the weight-loss drug can take off in the country.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 9, 2024
Is Japan as thin as it thinks? Weight-loss drug maker says no.
In Japan, some 33% of men and 22% of women have a BMI of 25 — the crucial threshold — or more.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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