Japanese Government Declares War on Fat

Japan has its national tape measure out: Measuring the waists of more than 56 million Japanese men and women between the ages of 40 and 74. And just why is the Japanese government so concerned about the waistlines of nearly 44% of its population? They are trying to curb an aging society's swelling health care costs and, after passing a new law in 2008, planning to shift some of those health care costs onto the private sector.

The new law is in response to something the government is calling metabolic syndrome, which is a fancy name for people being overweight. (The Japanese people have shortened it to ‘metabo,' which is easier to say.) The Japanese Ministry of Health feels that if they can reduce the number of overweight Japanese by 10 percent over the next four years, and by 25 percent over the next seven years, they can save money and decrease diseases like diabetes and strokes.

The nationally designated waist measurement for Japanese men is not to exceed 33.5 inches; and for women 35.4 inches. For those who do not initially meet the waistline standards, re-education will be available at three- and six-month intervals.

Most Japanese are covered by health insurance either through a government program, or through their work, so the bulk of the measuring will rest upon these companies as well as local governments. Measuring will take place during the patient's annual physical exam.

Companies are working hard to get their employees measured. They'll need to measure probably 80 percent of their employees, as well as their employees' families, and company retirees. Not only that, they will need to get at least 10 percent of those measured, whose waists are over the standard, to lose weight by 2012; and at least 25 percent of the overweight employees must slim down by 2015, or the company will face hefty fines from the government.

Private research on thousands of Japanese suggests that most citizens are not overweight, and that the average male's waistline falls just under the newly dictated standard; yet some critics disagree and say that the new guidelines are too strict, and that over half of the adult males will be judged as overweight. Other critics believe the government should concentrate more on getting people to quit smoking, rather than slim down their waistlines to really decrease health care costs. Japanese are known to smoke more than almost any other advanced nation.

If you are wondering what the recommended waist size is for American men and women, the International Diabetes Federation has set it at 40 inches for men, and 34.6 inches for women. And the National Center for Health Statistics tells us that the average man's waist measures one inch less than that; and the average females' waist measures two inches over the approved female measurement.