"How are they all so skinny?!"

This is a question I hear an average of once a day from my international friends, and these are some of my thoughts on the topic.

First of all, they aren't. Not ALL Korean girls are "small" and certainly not all of them would be considered "tiny". And second, this post is not scientific and I can't say anything about how genetics relate to the topic, it merely includes my observations, opinions, and conclusions.

#1 Public transportation
Walking from your house to your car and from your car into work, you burn approximately 20 calories if you walk at 3mph. That's about 1/5 of an egg or 1/12 of a bowl of cereal. But say you live 3 blocks from the nearest bus station, and your work place or school is also 3 blocks from the nearest subway stop. That's about 10 minutes of walking, or 40 calories, which is about one quarter of the calories you consumed with your rice, kimchi, radish, and vegetable breakfast. That also doesn't include the 3-4 blocks you may have walked between bus stops and subway stops, and all the steps and stairs you took transferring between subway lines.
Aside from that, when you use public transportation you are constantly surrounded by other people, and carrying extra weight can be extremely inconvenient, not only for yourself, but also for those around you. For instance, all buses, trains, and subways have designated seats and standing areas and if you take up more than one, you are an object of obvious, if unspoken, negative attention. Which brings me to my second point.

#2 Peer pressure
This can include everything from seats on the subway, to clothing in the stores. I am a fairly average-size American: I typically look at tops in the small-medium sizes, and bottoms in the 6-10 range. I have visited several different clothing stores since I arrived here and the largest size I have seen was an American 12 /Large. Typically, 8's and Medium's are the biggest you can hope to find. Maybe nobody says anything, but maybe they do - pointing out physical differences and flaws is widely accepted here. Either way, when all the seats and most of the clothes and the majority of your friends present the picture that small is normal, it is a standard you will emulate, consciously or subconsciously.

#3 Portion sizes
This is one that many people think points in the opposite direction; when you go to a restaurant and order your own meal (as opposed to ordering a big meal collectively and sharing one pot as is often done) you will receive a large serving - probably at least as big as most entries in a normal American restaurant. So why, then, are they so skinny?
Several reasons: One, the individual ingredients used here are much healthier across the board. No bacon grease. Ever. The food people eat here and it's greater nutritional value could be a post in itself. But I will assume that you, my reader, are already familiar with the faults of a "typical American diet" and will also assume that you know how much healthier rice and vegetables are than bread, pizza, and canned food. Two, their sides are cabbage and radish (approximately 30 calories each and shared between friends) as opposed to mashed potatoes and rolls (approximately 130 for one cup and 150 for one 3" roll).  Three, they eat this size portion at most once a day. Four, water is free and given upon entering the restaurant - other drinks are usually $3 per cup, and no refills.

#4 Pleasure activities
The first thing that comes to mind is when I think about what Americans do for fun is watching TV. Here? They go shopping. Also, seeing recreational exercise equipment next to the roads in crowded cities is common, as is seeing people using them.

There are so many more observations I could make, and most of them would probably be just as obnoxiously general as the ones I've already made. So I will make just one more.

The reason for the painfully evident size difference between the Western females I've observed and our Eastern counterparts is not easily defined. It seems to come down to small differences in the way we've thought, acted, and eaten since we were babies. (The babies here are the same size as everywhere else I've been, by the way.) Lifestyle differences and choices are the key differences.

Now, just to be clear, I am NOT saying that one way is better than another. I think that many things about the Korean lifestyle are more healthy physically, and this usually leads to smaller people. So for all my friends out there who seem to be constantly asking themselves, "How are they all so skinny?!" remember that it is 20-50 years of lifestyle differences. And if you're jealous, think about making some changes...for the next 20 years.