Japan Kicks Butt with Billy Blanks

Fad diets come and go in Japan. From spicy Korean noodles to low-calorie gelatin―there’s always something touting itself as the holy grail of weight loss. Women especially love the Twiggy look, consuming far less calories than most other females around the world. I remember subjecting myself to single-rice ball lunches when I was a student in Tokyo. That and a bottle of unsweetened tea was enough to satisfy most girls… but not me.

I found it funny that so few of my Japanese friends bothered to exercise. Most friends in Los Angeles at least have gym membership and realize that healthy bodies are maintained by both diet and exercise.

All hail Billy Blanks, America’s workout guru. He founded the outrageously popular Tae Bo, and now he’s repackaged the routine for Japanese audiences. “Billy’s Boot Camp” has taken the country by storm, and in the past few months moms and babies alike have been kicking their way to a leaner body:

DVD sales have reportedly skyrocketed ever since promotion began early this year. Billy keeps close ties with his audience, showing up on TV with his perfectly sculpted body just to keep the masses motivated. The spry 51-year-old has become an icon in Japan to the extent that comedians have come up with their own workout parodies.

Though of course, with every successful product comes backlash. Just like with Tae Bo, reports of injury have stifled interest in the intense workout routine. So we’ll see how far Billy’s product goes. Hopefully it won’t get the boot that easily. Otherwise millions of Japanese women will resort to starving themselves again, and we wouldn’t want that.

Himawari

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