80% of Women with No Major Life Changes Experience Gradual Weight Gain, "Jiwaburi." Yumico and a Doctor Reveal "Jiwaburi" Countermeasures. Announced by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.'s "Capsi EX®." Survey on Body Changes in Pre-menopausal and Menopausal Generations.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (President: Shigeo Nakamura / Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) held a press conference at its headquarters on March 25, 2026 (Wednesday) to announce the results of a survey on body changes in women in the pre-menopausal and menopausal generations, regarding its metabolic care supplement "Capsi EX®."

At this press conference, the phenomenon where women in the menopausal and pre-menopausal generations, who have not experienced major life changes, feel a gradual change in weight and body shape without a clear trigger, was defined as "Jiwaburi" (gradual weight gain), and its characteristics and countermeasures were presented.

Guests at the event included Yumico, representative of YUMICORE, popular for her unique stretches aimed at achieving a feminine body line, and Dr. Niina Ishihara, a doctor specializing in women's health. They discussed the physical changes and how to cope with them for women in the pre-menopausal and menopausal generations. Yumico also demonstrated her "Jiwaburi Elimination Stretch," developed specifically for this event.

At the "Capsi EX®" product briefing held the same day, a company representative explained "Capsi EX®," a food with functional claims that supports metabolic care habits. "Capsi EX®" is a supplement that focuses on "resting state" energy in daily life, and was introduced as a "new option for metabolic care" from the perspective of resting energy expenditure, not just exercise or meal timing.

Report on the Survey of Body Changes in Pre-menopausal and Menopausal Generations

At the beginning of the press conference, the results of a survey on body changes conducted by the company among 800 women nationwide aged 35 to 59 were reported.

The survey revealed that 67.5% of respondents answered, "I gain weight even though I live the same way as when I was younger." The characteristics of these body changes were identified as "slow speed of change," "difficulty in identifying the cause," and "no change in living environment." The company defined this phenomenon – "gradual changes in weight and body shape without a noticeable trigger and without major changes in lifestyle" – as "Jiwaburi." The survey results showed that approximately 80%* of women in the pre-menopausal and menopausal generations who responded "no major life changes affecting weight gain" had experienced this "Jiwaburi.".

*The "Jiwaburi group" was defined and calculated based on the proportion of respondents who answered "no clear moment of noticing weight gain" among those who answered "no major life changes affecting weight gain" (n=182).

<Survey Overview>

■ Survey Target: 800 women nationwide aged 35-59

■ Survey Period: March 3-6, 2026

■ Survey Method: Internet survey

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