Doctors are seeing that Japan gradually1 leaves behind traditional food habits. Instead of the fish, rice and miso soup of their grandparents' generation, younger Japanese are increasingly2 wolfing3 down fast food like hamburgers, fried chicken, instant noodles and chocolates. "If eating habits change, life expectancy4 will shorten and this has already been made clear," says Yukio Yamori, director of the International Center for Research on Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases.
醫生認為日本逐漸背離傳統飲食習慣，愈來愈多的年輕日本人不像他們的祖父母輩吃魚、米飯和味噌湯，而是大啖速食，例如漢堡、炸雞、泡麵及巧克力。心血管疾病初期預防國際研究中心主任Yukio Yamori表示︰「如果飲食習慣改變，平均預期壽命將會縮短，這是眾所周知的」。

Some fear the trend could one day jeopardize5 Japan's status as the home of the world's longest-living population. Life expectancy for Japanese is 86 for women, 79 for men. About 24 percent of Japanese aged 15 and older are believed to be overweight.6 It reflects a rise in obesity7 that is being blamed for diabetes9 and other health problems.
有些人擔心，這種趨勢將來可能會危及「日本人是世界上最長壽」的地位。日本人的平均預期壽命，女性為八十六歲、男性為七十九歲。十五歲以上的日本人，約有百分之二十四被認為過重，這反映肥胖有增加的趨勢，肥胖是糖尿病與其它健康問題的肇因。

Bad diet and less exercise create what psychologists say is a vicious cycle10: Fat kids are increasingly picked on at school, get depressed and find solace11 in eating even more. "Children these days shoulder12 a lot of concerns and stresses, "say nutritionists. "There are more obese13 kids that are gloomy14 and dark."
不良的日常飲食與缺乏運動造成心理學家說的「惡性循環」: 愈來愈多的肥胖孩童在學校被欺負，感到沮喪，因此以吃更多來尋求慰藉。營養師表示︰「近來，孩童承受多方關心與壓力，憂鬱又悲觀的孩童愈來愈多。」