In the U.S., obesity is a high-profile issue staked out by people like Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver. But how do other countries address it, especially wealthy countries, where this problem is most rampant?
Dubai pays people to lose weight. New Zealand, where one in four adults are technically obese, bars overweight immigrants from obtaining a visa. China has used acupuncture to treat obesity for centuries.
But one country has managed to keep obesity down with the help of a controversial government policy that probably wouldn't fly in the U.S. That country is Japan, where only about 3.5% of the population is classified as obese, compared to rates as high as 30% or greater in countries like the U.S. And it's not just a generally healthier diet and lifestyle that's kept the Japanese trim.
Citizens must adhere to government-mandated waistline limits or face consequences. The government has established waistline limits for adults ages 40 to 74. Men must maintain a waistline at or below 33.5 inches; for women, the limit is 35.4 inches. The "metabo law" went into effect in 2008, with the goal of reducing the country's overweight population by 25% by 2015. The government's anti-obesity campaign aims to keep "metabolic syndrome" — a number of factors that heighten the risk of developing diabetes and vascular diseases, such as obesity and high blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels — in check, thus minimizing the ballooning health care costs of Japan's massive aging population.
Those who stray beyond the state-mandated waistlines are required to attend counseling and support sessions. Local governments and companies that don't meet specific targets are fined, sometimes quite heavily.
NEC, Japan's largest maker of personal computers, says it's possible to incur as much as $19 million in penalties for failing to meet their targets. Matsushita, which makes Panasonic products, has to measure the waistlines of at least 80% of its employees, along with their families and retirees. The company distributes "metabo check" towels that double as tape measures to employees to ensure adherence to the waistline limits come time for employees' annual checkups.
Where was that restaurant that gives multiple refills for fries? How about the fad where teens buy out all the fries and gorge on them? Where did that get famous?
This law is stupid because Japanese people aren't that obese. Sure there are some fat people in Japan but how often do you see a Japanese person weighing at 600 pounds? Or 500 pounds? I mean obesity laws should apply to obesity like ACTUAL obesity. I mean if you are actually 500 pounds overweight or 300 pounds overweight than yes there should be laws in place so you don't have health problems. If a person has a little bit of weight on them but they are still healthy I think this law can be ridiculous and stupid. I mean most Japanese people that are considered fat are more like big boned or slightly chubby but they aren't fat. The heaviest people that really exist in Japan generally are 90 pounds overweight at the most. But they certainly aren't in as bad of shape as the UK or United States are. UK and US have the highest obesity rates of any country. I think Japan even considering these laws are ridiculous. Because what good is it to punish somebody who has maybe a waistline that is maybe 10 cm larger than what the Japanese government wants them to have? I think the law is too strict and honestly if a person in Japan is fat its not really a big deal. If it was a huge percentage of Japanese people getting fat like 1 out of 3 Japanese people being fat on average then I could see it as a concern. I mean 1 out of 10 people in America are obese. Literally almost everyone in America is fatter than what is considered healthy and we eat larger portions of food, have more sugar in our food, and have more high fructose corn syrup in our food. What does Japan really have to worry about? Their soda and snacks have literally less sugar and sodium than American snacks do. And they hardly use corn syrup if at all. I mean even France has health laws but France has soda in smaller portions and their snacks have less sugar and sodium too. If anything I think America and Britain could use obesity laws. Because the highest rates of obesity are in those countries. Consider the source. I mean Japan has some people overweight but very rarely do you see an obese person in Japan if at all. I also wonder if this law applies to Sumo Wrestlers? Since it is mandatory that they gain a lot of weight before they fight.
Where was that restaurant that gives multiple refills for fries? How about the fad where teens buy out all the fries and gorge on them? Where did that get famous?
You're wondering about that too, aren't you. Heck, when I clicked on this link, the one RIGHT underneath it is about the "all-you-can-eat" fry buffet!
Where was that restaurant that gives multiple refills for fries? How about the fad where teens buy out all the fries and gorge on them? Where did that get famous?
this law has been around since 2008, though, so it's been around for far longer than the recent fast food fad that started to stem within the past year or so. But despite the fad, Japan is still considered to be one of the "thin nations". I think part of it has to do with their main mode of transportation being either walking or biking, as well as their schools putting a strong emphasis on physical education. I've seen pictures of Japanese city streets and there's almost always a huge sea of pedestrian walking around.
Where was that restaurant that gives multiple refills for fries? How about the fad where teens buy out all the fries and gorge on them? Where did that get famous?
this law has been around since 2008, though, so it's been around for far longer than the recent fast food fad that started to stem within the past year or so. But despite the fad, Japan is still considered to be one of the "thin nations". I think part of it has to do with their main mode of transportation being either walking or biking, as well as their schools putting a strong emphasis on physical education. I've seen pictures of Japanese city streets and there's almost always a huge sea of pedestrian walking around.
Now I'm thinking about that hot dog eating champion. I am convince of the existence of pocket wormholes.
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