Unease in the country of slimmness
2015 - ongoing
Unease in the Country of Slimness questions the relationship to the body and slimness in Japanese society.
Work-in-progress ; the first part has been shown during an art residency at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Tokyo.
Japan is often described abroad as the "country of slimness". But in recent years, there has been a significant increase of the obesity rate in the archipelago. The government has taken measures and enacted the so-called "metabo law", which encourages companies to monitor their staff's waist size, and advise their employees to do exercises and diets if they exceed defined (strict) standards.
However, the obesity rate is still very low compared to other Western countries. Another problem is much more worrying in Japan: the average body mass index of girls is increasingly weak, and the obsession with thinness pushes them to impose themselves with strict diets. Furthermore, the number of reported cases of eating disorders is clearly increasing.
'Unease in the Country of Slimness' therefore questions the relationship the Japanese, especially women, have with their bodies and food.
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