Why The Chinese Don’t Count Calories

I saw this discussion of Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories today by Fiona Lee on CNR:

Just what is healthy about Chinese food? While it has a reputation for being greasy and fattening in the West, the orange chicken and “beef and broccoli in brown sauce” of Chinese take-away is definitely not part of a traditional Chinese diet.

Last night at the Beijing Bookworm, British author Lorraine Clissold gave a brief talk on her new book, Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories. Something of a riposte to international bestseller Why French Women Don’t Get Fat, this awkwardly titled book joins the growing literature on how traditional cuisines are better than dieting fads.

So just what is healthy about Chinese food? While it has a reputation for being greasy and fattening in the West, the orange chicken and “beef and broccoli in brown sauce” of Chinese take-away is definitely not part of a traditional Chinese diet. Instead, Chinese cuisine incorporates a more holistic approach that does away with counting calories and guilt for having ingested too many calories. One startling fact stood out in her talk–the Chinese actually eat 30% more than Americans, yet remain 20% lighter–something that is supported in The China Study.

What do you think? Read the rest at Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories!