118Japanese proverb ことわざ
腹八分目に医者いらず
はらはちぶんめにいしゃいらずHara hachibunme ni isha irazu
“A stomach eight-tenths full needs no doctor.”
The meaning
Stopping before satiety — at eighty percent — keeps the body light and health long. The rule extends beyond the table: in almost everything, nearly-full is the right full.
At the origin
A traditional Japanese health precept, still alive notably in Okinawa.
The characters
In practice
At the next meal, stop just before "a little more".
Themes
In the collections · Kanso