[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fF79Q.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fF79Q.jpg)

**Context:**

I encountered this in a compulsory book about moral education for elementary
school student by MEXT "私たちの道徳"
[Source](http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/doutoku/detail/1344255.htm)

My question:

>   1. What is the best equivalent proverb in English of: **腹八分目に医者いらず**?
>
>   2. What is the **background story** of this proverb in Japanese?
>
>   3. Why do the Japanese use " **八分目** " or " **80% full** "?
>
>   4. Is there probably any **medical record** or any **medical publication**
> source that this is true or is this only a conjecture at best?
>
>

My attempt in translating it:

> **Eating in moderation is good for your health**.
>
> **An apple a day keeps the doctor away**.

Is this natural?

Thank you in advance!
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-26T06:38:52.563
55426
2019-04-24T13:34:22.633
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
10323
question
translation words proverbs
What is the English proverb equivalent of 腹八分目{はらはちぶんめ}に[医者]{いしゃ}いらず and the history behind the proverb?
>   1. What is the best equivalent proverb in English of: 腹八分目に医者いらず?
>

ここは、日本語｛にほんご｝を勉強{べんきょう}するサイトですので、英語｛えいご｝の表現｛ひょうげん｝は別｛べつ｝のところで尋｛たず｝ねてください。

>   2. What is the background story of this proverb in Japanese?
>

４番目｛ばんめ｝の回答｛かいとう｝で貝原｛かいばら｝益軒｛えっけん｝の書｛か｝いた『養生訓｛ようじょうくん｝』のことを紹介｛しょうかい｝しますが、それとは別｛べつ｝に、「腹八分目｛はらはちぶめ｝」の考｛かんが｝え方｛かた｝は、多分｛たぶん｝中国｛ちゅうごく｝から来｛き｝たのだと思｛おも｝います。「腹八分目」はここでは食事｛しょくじ｝の量｛りょう｝のことですが、食事は単｛たん｝なる例｛たと｝えであって、人間｛にんげん｝の理想｛りそう｝とする生｛い｝き方｛かた｝を示｛しめ｝しているのだと思｛おも｝います。食事の量に限｛かぎ｝らず、何｛なん｝でも目一杯｛めいっぱい｝の「百｛ひゃく｝パーセント」はだめで、少｛すこ｝しの余地{よち}を残｛のこ｝した生｛い｝き方｛かた｝、あるいは何｛なに｝ごとも控｛ひか｝えめにすることが良｛よ｝いとする人生訓｛じんせいくん｝であるように思｛おも｝います。  
「八分目（はちぶめ/はちぶんめ）」とは、最大｛さいだい｝が十｛じゅう｝のところを八｛はち｝で控｛ひか｝えること、あるいは、控｛ひか｝えめにしておくことです。

>   3. Why do the Japanese use "八分目" or "80% full"?
>

なぜかは分かりませんが、百パーセントより少ない量｛りょう｝を数字｛すうじ｝で概略｛がいりゃく｝表｛あらわ｝すのに、「八分目｛はちぶんめ｝」「五六分目｛ごろくぶんめ｝」「半分｛はんぶん｝」「三分目｛さんぶんめ｝」「二三分目｛にさんぶんめ｝」というような表現｛ひょうげん｝が多｛おお｝く使｛つか｝われてきました。

>   4. Is there probably any medical record or any medical publication source
> that this is true or is this only a conjecture at best?
>

語源｛ごげん｝として[ここ](https://ameblo.jp/dh-
michiko/entry-10245399058.html)に、江戸時代｛えどじだい｝の儒学者｛じゅがくしゃ｝であり、医者｛いしゃ｝であった貝原｛かいばら｝益軒｛えっけん｝という儒学者の書いた医学書｛いがくしょ｝『養生訓｛ようじょうくん｝』に、「珍美｛ちんみ｝の食｛しょく｝に対｛たい｝するとも八九分｛はちくぶ｝にして止｛や｝むべし」という言葉｛ことば｝があると書｛か｝かれています。

私は、貝原益軒も『養生訓{ようじょうくん}』を著｛あらわ｝したときには、すでに「人生｛じんせい｝何事｛なにごと｝も控｛ひか｝えめが良い」という人生訓｛じんせいくん｝を知っていたと思います。
なお、お腹｛なか｝いっぱい食｛た｝べることを毎日｛まいにち｝続｛つづ｝けていると西洋人｛せいようじん｝に多｛おお｝い「太｛ふと｝り過｛す｝ぎ _obese_
」になり、健康｛けんこう｝を害{がい}することが分{わ}かっていますので、「腹八分目は医者いらず」は、医学的｛いがくてき｝にも根拠｛こんきょ｝があるのでしょう。

# EDIT

I read the comment of Vun-Hugh Vaw and understood that I needed to answer a
little more carefully, so I'll add some information.  
The reason I answered in Japanese was because I understood that OP could
understand Japanese very well by reading the profile of OP and by the content
of the question posted by OP.

The reason why I didn't answer the first question of the questioner was
because it was written as "What is the **best** equivalent proverb in English
of: 腹八分目に医者いらず?" The "best" answer is impossible unless you are familiar with
both Japanese and English.

If you do not stick to the best answer, you can find the following examples
including ones presented by OP and ones in the answers posted if you search
for them on the Internet using "腹八分 医者 英語" as a keyword.

  * (a) Moderation in eating is the best medicine.
  * (b) Moderate eating keeps the doctor away.
  * (c) Eating in moderation is good for your health.
  * (d) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
  * (e) Temperance is better than medicine.
  * (f) Feed by measure and defy the physician.
  * (g) Measure is medicine.
  * (h) Much meat, much disease.
  * (i) You may go farther and fare worse. Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (6 ed.) [here](http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198734901.001.0001/acref-9780198734901-e-906) defines this as " _Be satisfied with what is close at hand rather than searching further afield and possibly ending up worse off_."

I think that the translations using "moderation" or "moderate" including OP's
attempt is close to the essential meaning of "腹八分 or 腹八分目".  
The last example sentence (i) carrying commentary from the Oxford dictionary
here is close to what is said to be " **知足｛ちそく｝** " or "足｛た｝るを知｛し｝る _knowing
contentment_ " in Japanese, which is, I think, close to "人生訓 _rule of life_ or
_how to live properly_ ".

"知足 _knowing contentment_ " was used first by "老子{ろうし} _Laozi_ ", an ancient
Chinese philosopher and writer, who had also influenced Japan.

See [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi) for Laozi, and see
[here](http://blog.mage8.com/roushi-33) for the commentary on Laozi's first
text using 知足. "知足者富" by Laozi is interpreted as "A person who knows
contentment has true wealth" in the commentary.  
It is also known as "足｛た｝るを知｛し｝るは富｛とみ｝にまさる _Contentment is better than riches_
".

The important thing that I want to convey with "moderation" or "知足 _knowing
contentment_ " is not only "physical health" written in the proverb presented
by OP but also "mental health". If we consider how we can acquire mental
health, we need "moderation" or "知足".

The idea of "知足" was adopted in Zen in Japan, and it has been one of the
important ideas that supports the spirit of the Japanese until the
introduction of Western culture into Japan. 知足 is well known as a word used in
the expression with "吾{われ}唯{ただ}足{た}るを知{し}る _All you need, you already have_ "
in Japan.

"吾唯足るを知る" will be explained in the following BONUS.

# BONUS

"蹲踞 _Tsukubai_ ", a kind of a washbasin, of Ryoanji-temple in Kyoto, which is
famous for its rock garden and also for a world cultural heritage, utilizes
wittily the square or a shape of 口 in the middle of it to arrange four kanjis
of "吾", "唯", "足" and "知" clockwise. In total they make up a meaning of
"吾唯足るを知る _Whatever needed is already in your hand_ or _You already know you
have enough_ ".

蹲踞 or "tsukubai" is a washbasin (usually made of stone) set in a Japanese
garden. Here, guests rinse their hands and mouths, purifying both body and
spirit before entering the tea room for a tea ceremony.

I'll show the Tsukubai of Ryoanji-temple with 吾唯足知 in the following
illustration.  
The word order of 知足 differs depending on the difference between Chinese and
Japanese languages.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fb2x0.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fb2x0.jpg)
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-12-26T12:13:55.467
55433
2019-04-24T07:14:20.083
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
20624
55426
answer
>   1. What is the best equivalent proverb in English of: 腹八分目に医者いらず?
>

I'm not really good at English proverbs, so I'll leave this to someone else.
Basically the meaning of this proverb is something very simple,
straightforward and mundane, "Don't eat too much." Nothing more or less. Of
course 医者いらず is an exaggerated expression, and it should be taken as "～ is
good for your health."

>   2. What is the background story of this proverb in Japanese?
>   3. Why do the Japanese use "八分目" or "80% full"?
>   4. Is there probably any medical record or any medical publication source
> that this is true or is this only a conjecture at best?
>

I'm afraid to say this, but there is not much to talk about regarding this
saying. This saying is fairly old, and obviously not based on an evidence from
modern scientific research. I believe someone in the old days chose 80% either
purely empirically or arbitrarily. The number "8" is not very important.

Some expressions like 矛盾 have fascinating background stories, but 腹八分目 is a
pretty simple and straightforward Japanese phrase which has nothing to do with
metaphor, philosophy or religion. I think it's extremely difficult to trace
who first said this. After all, it can be said that the idea of "eating too
much is bad for your health" itself is almost as old as the history of human
civilizations.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-12-28T07:19:09.840
55476
2019-04-24T13:34:22.633
2019-04-24T13:34:22.633
10045
5010
55426
answer