Four bright pink Japanese dieting contraptions

My mother always sends me this funny quarterly household gadget shopping catalog for a Japanese company called Nissen. The fall 2010 edition has this odd half-page section on low-impact dieting contraptions. I've never tried any of them before, but since they're kind of fun and silly I thought I'd share them with you.

At top right is a brand new thigh-slimmer. It's basically a cushion with strategically positioned contours that keep your thighs from spilling out. It claims to tighten the area around your butt while you're sitting on a stool. It's about $23.

Next to it is the beautiful ass and posture cushion. Similar concept, but designed to instantly force you to sit straighter. Also $23.

The ham-like thing around the woman's legs in the photo on the bottom right is aimed at keeping the pelvis fit. Just insert both calves in the holes and twist the thing side to side while lounging on the floor and watching TV. The woman in the corner is a Canadian-trained yoga instructor who claims to this tool is frequently used in yoga classes in western Japan. $23.

Last but not least, you can work your abs by breathing into this little mouthpiece-slash-whistle 30 times a day. Who knew? This one's only $14.

While the beautiful ass cushion is a tempting alternative to my IKEA desk stool, I'm a firm believer in real exercise. Not even this fun little catalog can convince me that twisting my legs around in a fake piece of ham can substitute for a run or a yoga class. On a side note, I think it's interesting that these dieting toys are all very pink.

• [Anonymous]

  I think I saw an ad for “ham like” item #23 in India but it is slightly modified. The person using it sleeps on her back and just rotates her ankles. The Kgs melt right off.

• [morgonmae]

  I love that they point out that the yoga instructor is Canadian-trained.

• [Jack]

  Kind of disturbing a country never known for weight problems is now—thanks to the introduction of Western food/drink—is now focused on snake oil like this. Ugggh.

• [Gisburne]

  Want to buy the ultimate dieting gadget? Want to lose weight effortlessly? Want to sit right where you are, pretend you’re doing something, and wait for the pounds to fade away? A revolutionary breakthrough in medical science has revealed the answer to all these questions: YOU CAN’T. So get off your fat behind and exercise. Oh, and put less food in your mouth. Preferably less than the daily calories needed to feed a family of four.

  :o)

• [Teapunk]

  I’ve always been fascinated by the stuff on the last pages of Japanese magazines, the wonder diet contraptions, the bust-up pumps, the disturbing operations that will make your eyes rounder really harmless and quick.
  Why oh why is there never an article in a magazine that says “Yes! You are good! Just the way you are!”, women of every culture in every country always seem to suffer from “Oh no! I am too fat!”
  Especially if they are not.

• [squidfood]

  When I first skimmed the headline and glanced at the pictures, I read that as “dating” contraptions. This put those molded pink plastic pieces in a very different light.

• [Anonymous]

  “YOU WANT ME TO PUT IT WHERE????”

• [Anonymous]

  pink=KAWAIIIII!!!1! lol

• [Powers]

  I’ve seen the chair pad on the top left in the wild before! (In a Japanese office.)

• [tomorrowboy]

  This is the only Japanese dieting thing you need: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs546.snc3/29928_512803915746_106500691_30621510_6491052_n.jpg

• [Againagain]

  The back pages of Japanese women’s magazines are an endless source of magic and wonder. Some of the bust enhancement contraptions gave me nightmares for years.