River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-03-03
FAT AND LEAN IN JAPAN.
Methods Employed by the Little Peo-
pie to Gain or Get Rid
Of Flesh.

Should the lean American want to
become fat as the lean Japanese does,
he is likely to find it difficult in such
city as New York. One of the chief
features of the Japanese method of
putting on flesh is to sleep outdoors
with as little clothing as possible. The
advocates of this doctrine, says the
New York Tribune, believe that the
less covering the body has the more
it will seek to protect itself by the
growth OF fat.
In Japan there is saying that any
fat man can become lean, and any lean
man fat, if he really wants such a
change of figure
Besides sleeping as lightly garment
ed as possible, the Japanese searcher
for flesh sleeps great deal. Ten,
twelve, and even fourteen hours are
none too much for him. In his waking
hours he is to be kept amused. Ankle
ties and thoughts of serious nature
are to be banished by the lively use
of repartee and banter. For example,
when he sits down to breakfast he
should never take up the morning
paper to digest along with his meal.
Instead, his wife should relate the
latest joke she has heard, and in the
place of asking him for money to buy
some yards of this or that fabric, she
should explain how she has been able
to run the house under her allowance.
When the lean explorer for fatness
takes exercise. he should practice d
discreet moderation. He should not
exert himself too strenuously. Should
he go walking, he should not run
across streets and dodge cars and ex-
press wagons. If the crossing is too
congested, he should bide his time and
try a more unruffied fording place.
When the fat man wants to become
lean according to Japanese principles,
he should not entirely reverse the plan
of getting fat, for he too, should sleep
as much as possible on top of his
blankets. Even in rigorous weather,
he should try to make himself think
ne is warm. Cold is believed to quicken
the circulation, and thus carry Off the
waste more readily. But the fat man
should sleep as little as possible. II
he can cut his hours of sleep from
eight to Six or even five, he should
make such curtailment When he
exercises he should exert all the vigor
he possesses. Should his wife desire
to help him shrink, she should present
him with bills, or announce OCCASION
ally that she expects a visit from her
mother. The fat man should not fast.
The stomach should be kept at work
also, but with SLOWLY diminishing
amount of food each day Oily foods
should be abandoned by the fat man
wanting to shrink, just as they should
be eaten in abundance by the man
who wants more avOirdupOis.
1t follows, therefore, that, according
to these methods, either in Japan or
America the lean man trying to get
fat has a decided advantage over his
fat rival who wants to get lean. IL
the methods they adopt prove success
full, the lean man has certainly the
easier victory. He has been taking life
calmly. enjoying his bed and board,
and laughing at the jokes of his
friends. The fat man, on the con-
trary, has been toiling away as he
never toiled before. has fretted over
new anxieties, has been routed out OF
bed when his slumber was deepest and
most blissful, and has hurried along
the street as if running to a fire. when
his destination might have been the
tax Office.
On the other hand. if such methods
fail the fat man has had all his hurry
and worry and loss of sleep for moth
ing. while the lean man has been liv-
'ug in peace and comfort