Green tea = good for you. Why do you think Japanese people are all so skinny and live so long? They drink tea like we drink water or pop, lol. Sure, they also have a lot of other healthy habits that contribute, but still. They consume a LOT of tea. While I was in Japan, I couldn't drink the stuff. Now back in the US I discovered that Diet Lipton Green Tea with citrus (which hardly tastes like tea) and I drink it because it tastes good and green tea is good for you. I don't know about weight loss benefits, but green tea has a lot of health benefits either way.

Originally Posted by lessthansign3:
Green tea = good for you. Why do you think Japanese people are all so skinny and live so long? They drink tea like we drink water or pop, lol. Sure, they also have a lot of other healthy habits that contribute, but still. They consume a LOT of tea. While I was in Japan, I couldn't drink the stuff. Now back in the US I discovered that Diet Lipton Green Tea with citrus (which hardly tastes like tea) and I drink it because it tastes good and green tea is good for you. I don't know about weight loss benefits, but green tea has a lot of health benefits either way.

Ummm I doubt if the Japanese are 'skinny' because of green tea - green tea might be 'good for you' but it's because of the traditional lean diet of fish, rice and vegetables and exercise.

This Q&A which was in Shape Magazine in 2004 most likely hits the nail on the head:

Originally Posted by :
Q Obesity is rare in Japan, yet people there eat lots of rice. Americans are crazy about low-carb foods, yet a third of us are obese. If the Japanese can eat lots of carbs and not gain weight, why can't we?

A It's true that very few Japanese are obese. Just 1.8 percent of men and 2.6 percent of women have a body mass index above 30 (the cutoff for obesity), according to the International Association for the Study of Obesity, a London-based nonprofit organization. On the other hand, more than 19 percent of American men and nearly a quarter of American women are obese.

However, the difference has nothing to do with rice consumption, says Amy Reuter, R.D., the Obesity/Metabolic Clinic dietitian at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. "Japanese people eat significantly smaller portions than Americans do," says Reuter, who has worked with Japanese emigres to the United States. "One reason is that Japanese [serving] bowls hold 1/2-1 cup of rice at most. Their bowls and dishes are what we consider child's-sized."

The Japanese also consume far more vegetables than Americans do, filling up on fiber so they don't have room for huge portions of meat, Reuter says. "A typical Japanese meal consists of four or five different food items--usually meat, rice and two or three vegetables. Some Americans just eat a big bowl of pasta."

The Japanese also use mostly lowfat cooking methods. "They grill, boil or steam their foods," Reuter says. Plus, they exercise more than we do, biking or walking to work and the grocery store.

And "ALL so skinny"? Looks like that is no longer the case, based on this article:

Japanese grab girdles as obesity crisis looms

or this one:

Obesity alarms traditionally slim Japan

That's what I drink not the diet but regular. As far as the Japanese I never really thought it was the tea, more so spicey food. I may be wrong. I have noticed when I eat spicey food (which I LOVE) I don't eat as much and I fill up quicker but not the point were I'm full. But I am completely satisfied. I pretty much add tabasco sause to everything, except eggs (eeeewwwww!).

Only read page one and five of this thread (kinda busy), but I wanted to add my two cents to this.

I discovered Lipton Green Tea with Honey flavor around Christmas time. I LOVE it. Since then, I've been drinking a pot or two a day...I live in NORTHERN New York and it's COLD here...so I'm trying to warm up, too. Anyhow...for whatever reason...I FEEL GREAT!! Flavinoids? Antioxidants? I don't know what it is, or if it is even the green tea, but I feel less achy, less depressed (I get winter depression every year) and have a general feeling of wellness about me. I haven't lost one friggen pound since Christmas, but some of my friends have been asking me if I'm loosing weight...could it be taking some puffiness away from my face maybe? I dunno...but I'm a big Green Tea believer.

My husband has even gotten on the wagon...I make a pot and put it in the fridge and he puts some splenda and ice in it and takes it to work with him in a container. HE's starting to feel good, too.

Drink your green tea...it's yummy AND good for you!!