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Associated Press
Keizo Takemi, Japan's former vice
minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
Keizo Takemi, Japan's former vice
minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
Japan Institutes ‘Fat Fines’
June 30, 2008 12:53 PM
Trying to deter citizens from becoming overweight, Japan has enacted laws requiring weight loss and punishable by fine.
30-Second Summary
Japan is working to slim down its population by regulating waistlines.
Under the new plan, everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 will have their waistlines measured during annual checkups. By law, men’s waists can’t be larger than 33.5 inches, and women’s midsections can’t exceed 35.4 inches.
Those who aren’t slim enough, and who have weight-related health problems, will receive dieting guidance if they don’t lose weight after three months, with more “education” offered after six months, if needed.
Prolonged weight troubles can result in fines to a person’s employer.
Japan’s Ministry of Health believes its plan will help control health care costs for its aging population, most of whom receive health care from either public or employment-related services.
“They’d never get away with that” in the United States, said Dr. Keith Ayoob of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “I’m sure the intent is to get a healthier society, but I’m not sure this is the best way to go.”
According to ABC News, “fixating on body size can be potentially dangerous” because it can tempt people to try “drastic weight reduction measures” leading to eating disorders.
In the United States, which has done considerable research on obesity prevention, obesity rates still appear to be on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control says there is a national goal to reduce obesity rates among adults to less than 15 percent by 2010, however.
Under the new plan, everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 will have their waistlines measured during annual checkups. By law, men’s waists can’t be larger than 33.5 inches, and women’s midsections can’t exceed 35.4 inches.
Those who aren’t slim enough, and who have weight-related health problems, will receive dieting guidance if they don’t lose weight after three months, with more “education” offered after six months, if needed.
Prolonged weight troubles can result in fines to a person’s employer.
Japan’s Ministry of Health believes its plan will help control health care costs for its aging population, most of whom receive health care from either public or employment-related services.
“They’d never get away with that” in the United States, said Dr. Keith Ayoob of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “I’m sure the intent is to get a healthier society, but I’m not sure this is the best way to go.”
According to ABC News, “fixating on body size can be potentially dangerous” because it can tempt people to try “drastic weight reduction measures” leading to eating disorders.
In the United States, which has done considerable research on obesity prevention, obesity rates still appear to be on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control says there is a national goal to reduce obesity rates among adults to less than 15 percent by 2010, however.
Headline Link: Watching waistlines
Japan wants to reduce its number of overweight citizens by 10 percent during the next four years, and by 25 percent over the next seven years. When the country’s Ministry of Health started the weight-loss campaign, it introduced a condition called “metabolic syndrome,” a series of factors that increase one’s risk for vascular disease and diabetes. “Metabo,” as it is now called, “has become the nation’s shorthand for overweight.”
Source: The New York Times (free registration may be required)
Reactions: Would mandatory weight loss work in America?
While discussing Japanese weight limits, Dr. Keith Ayoob of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York said, “Forget the government and regulations, this is a personal issue you need to take care of.” Experts say that, rather than following Japan’s model of punishing individuals who have weight problems, the United States would have more success with incentive programs to encourage weight loss. Already, some U.S. employers are rewarding their workers for trying to be healthier.
Source: ABC News
Related Topic: Examining obesity
Scientists from the University of California have released the results of a study suggesting that fructose, a natural sugar found in fruit, may be spurring on an obesity epidemic. In fact, they say fructose may be worse than other types of sugar. During the study, overweight people who received fructose in their diet were more likely to show weight gain in their stomach area than those who received glucose. “The finding suggests that the number of calories in food might not be as important as the type of sugar it contains,” reports British paper the Daily Mail.
Source: Daily Mail
In February 2008, Mississippi attracted worldwide attention because its state legislature introduced a bill to prohibit restaurants from serving obese customers. The bill’s sponsors, including Rep. Ted Mayhall, said they proposed it to draw attention to Mississippi’s obesity rate, which is the highest in the nation.
Source: findingDulcinea
Despite widespread fears about an obesity epidemic, childhood obesity rates in the United States have stayed the same since 1999, according to a government study.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: Obesity resources
To learn more about reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site.
Source: CDC
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Obesity recommends online resources for learning what obesity is, the causes and effects of this condition and the best ways to treat it.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
