Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions

Sharingan Lord · 06-13-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: June 13, 2008

AMAGASAKI, Japan — Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry.

A poster at a public health clinic in Japan reads, "Goodbye, metabo," a word associated with being overweight. The Japanese government is mounting an ambitious weight-loss campaign.

Summoned by the city of Amagasaki one recent morning, Minoru Nogiri, 45, a flower shop owner, found himself lining up to have his waistline measured. With no visible paunch, he seemed to run little risk of being classified as overweight, or metabo, the preferred word in Japan these days.

But because the new state-prescribed limit for male waistlines is a strict 33.5 inches, he had anxiously measured himself at home a couple of days earlier. “I’m on the border,” he said.

Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.

Those exceeding government limits — 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, which are identical to thresholds established in 2005 for Japan by the International Diabetes Federation as an easy guideline for identifying health risks — and having a weight-related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, those people will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.

To reach its goals of shrinking the overweight population by 10 percent over the next four years and 25 percent over the next seven years, the government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets. The country’s Ministry of Health argues that the campaign will keep the spread of diseases like diabetes and strokes in check.

The ministry also says that curbing widening waistlines will rein in a rapidly aging society’s ballooning health care costs, one of the most serious and politically delicate problems facing Japan today. Most Japanese are covered under public health care or through their work. Anger over a plan that would make those 75 and older pay more for health care brought a parliamentary censure motion Wednesday against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the first against a prime minister in the country’s postwar history.

But critics say that the government guidelines — especially the one about male waistlines — are simply too strict and that more than half of all men will be considered overweight. The effect, they say, will be to encourage overmedication and ultimately raise health care costs.

Yoichi Ogushi, a professor at Tokai University’s School of Medicine near Tokyo and an expert on public health, said that there was “no need at all” for the Japanese to lose weight.

“I don’t think the campaign will have any positive effect. Now if you did this in the United States, there would be benefits, since there are many Americans who weigh more than 100 kilograms,” or about 220 pounds, Mr. Ogushi said. “But the Japanese are so slender that they can’t afford to lose weight.”

Mr. Ogushi was actually a little harder on Americans than they deserved. A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics found that the average waist size for Caucasian American men was 39 inches, a full inch lower than the 40-inch threshold established by the International Diabetes Federation. American women did not fare as well, with an average waist size of 36.5 inches, about two inches above their threshold of 34.6 inches. The differences in thresholds reflected variations in height and body type from Japanese men and women.

Comparable figures for the Japanese are sketchy since waistlines have not been measured officially in the past. But private research on thousands of Japanese indicates that the average male waistline falls just below the new government limit.

That fact, widely reported in the media, has heightened the anxiety in the nation’s health clinics.

In Amagasaki, a city in western Japan, officials have moved aggressively to measure waistlines in what the government calls special checkups. The city had to measure at least 65 percent of the 40- to 74-year-olds covered by public health insurance, an “extremely difficult” goal, acknowledged Midori Noguchi, a city official.

When his turn came, Mr. Nogiri, the flower shop owner, entered a booth where he bared his midriff, exposing a flat stomach with barely discernible love handles. A nurse wrapped a tape measure around his waist across his belly button: 33.6 inches, or 0.1 inch over the limit.

“Strikeout,” he said, defeat spreading across his face.

The campaign started a couple of years ago when the Health Ministry began beating the drums for a medical condition that few Japanese had ever heard of — metabolic syndrome — a collection of factors that heighten the risk of developing vascular disease and diabetes. Those include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose and cholesterol. In no time, the scary-sounding condition was popularly shortened to the funny-sounding metabo, and it has become the nation’s shorthand for overweight.

The mayor of one town in Mie, a prefecture near here, became so wrapped up in the anti-metabo campaign that he and six other town officials formed a weight-loss group called “The Seven Metabo Samurai.” That campaign ended abruptly after a 47-year-old member with a 39-inch waistline died of a heart attack while jogging.

Still, at a city gym in Amagasaki recently, dozens of residents — few of whom appeared overweight — danced to the city’s anti-metabo song, which warned against trouser buttons popping and flying away, “pyun-pyun-pyun!”

“Goodbye, metabolic. Let’s get our checkups together. Go! Go! Go!

Goodbye, metabolic. Don’t wait till you get sick. No! No! No!”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/wo...o_interstitial

Whoa.

ShinobiKnight · 06-26-2008, 11:03 PM

Holy shit, seriously? I wouldn't expect this to be a problem in Japan. Over there, when you're overweight, man, they aren't afraid to let you know. If I was a fat Japanese guy, and I had people left and right telling me I was fat, I'd go on a diet and start exercising. Not like here, where being fat is generally accepted, and as a consequence we have more fat people. But this sort of thing would never go over well in America, because our fat people would just do what Americans do best: whine and complain until the government agreed to stop.

saskatu · 06-26-2008, 11:35 PM

I thought that the only japanese that would have a issue with health are sumo-wrestlers and not the average japanese citizen. Also why would the Japanese have these issues if a lot of their diet is fish and rice.

I guess to Japanese standards I am borderlined XD.

PrinceJodabeni · 07-19-2008, 07:24 PM

I never thought it would happen

DaRk_LoRd_SuPrEmE_3.14159 · 07-19-2008, 10:43 PM

Lol, they just dont want to end up like America.

Naruto2008 · 07-20-2008, 12:48 AM

What about people who are in great shape but have a big waist?

Freshgrease · 07-20-2008, 03:03 AM

Oh...they are going to have a good time with me. I hope that I am half my size before mid-2009...cause I've got tickets to Tokyo.

07-20-2008, 03:37 AM

Waist size is the first number on jeans, right? 33 here, fuck yeah no fatty!

Also, Japan is pretty awesome. /no weeaboo

We should seriously do shit like that here in good old, badass America. Can you imagine how lulzy that would be?

sheik · 07-20-2008, 12:13 PM

I must be a fatass because I am a 38 and I'm a 17 and a half year old dude....

I seriously think that Japan doesn't need to trim down.....

They are skinny enough as it is....

I;m not fat but I have a big butt because I am black.....

DaRk_LoRd_SuPrEmE_3.14159 · 07-21-2008, 05:40 PM

LOL, I'm average. I'm Asian, so I'm not fat.

kikuri · 07-30-2008, 06:25 AM

woah! really?

Rath · 07-30-2008, 08:50 AM

I've been noticing a lot of smaller kids becoming overweight in Taiwan and Japan... significantly different than from my last visit just a few years ago. I wonder why the campaign isn't focused on children, it seems to be a lot easier to prevent overweightness if you start earlier than when you're middle aged.

J.A.M.D. · 07-30-2008, 09:01 AM

That makes a lot of scence to me, but I guess It's because children aren't the ones working. Then again, you can get a job way before you middle aged. Most likely It's because the middle aged people are fater, I'm not japanese I don't know.

Rock_Lee123 · 07-30-2008, 10:25 AM

hello frends

kikuri · 07-31-2008, 10:13 AM

well, children are developing... and their food preferences are also growing.

i think even though the oldies are the ones who are monitored, the children should be watched and instructed too. with the children, it's malnourishment. it's either underweight or overweight.

06-26-2008, 11:03 PM	#2
ShinobiKnight Silberner Held Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Andorra Age: 20 Posts: 1,914 Thanks: 473 Thanked 84 Times in 56 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions Holy shit, seriously? I wouldn't expect this to be a problem in Japan. Over there, when you're overweight, man, they aren't afraid to let you know. If I was a fat Japanese guy, and I had people left and right telling me I was fat, I'd go on a diet and start exercising. Not like here, where being fat is generally accepted, and as a consequence we have more fat people. But this sort of thing would never go over well in America, because our fat people would just do what Americans do best: whine and complain until the government agreed to stop. __________________

06-26-2008, 11:35 PM	#3
saskatu Blitzkrieg Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Destroying your fun! Posts: 496 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions I thought that the only japanese that would have a issue with health are sumo-wrestlers and not the average japanese citizen. Also why would the Japanese have these issues if a lot of their diet is fish and rice. I guess to Japanese standards I am borderlined XD. __________________

07-19-2008, 07:24 PM	#4
PrinceJodabeni Genin Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: can't tell you Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions I never thought it would happen __________________

07-19-2008, 10:43 PM	#5
DaRk_LoRd_SuPrEmE_3.14159 Missing-Nin Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: With my Mommy. Age: 43 Posts: 291 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions Lol, they just dont want to end up like America.

07-20-2008, 12:48 AM	#6
Naruto2008 Special Jounin Join Date: May 2008 Location: Congers, NY Age: 20 Posts: 2,171 Thanks: 7 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions What about people who are in great shape but have a big waist? __________________ Rep me GREEN, leave your name, and I'll rep you back. Bitch I'm tha bomb like tick, tick!

07-20-2008, 03:03 AM	#7
Freshgrease ▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂ Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 25 Posts: 4,112 Thanks: 1,489 Thanked 1,005 Times in 546 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions Oh...they are going to have a good time with me. I hope that I am half my size before mid-2009...cause I've got tickets to Tokyo.

07-20-2008, 03:37 AM	#8
Miburo Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions Waist size is the first number on jeans, right? 33 here, fuck yeah no fatty! Also, Japan is pretty awesome. /no weeaboo We should seriously do shit like that here in good old, badass America. Can you imagine how lulzy that would be?

07-20-2008, 12:13 PM	#9
sheik S-Ranked Shinobi Join Date: May 2005 Location: on the planet earth in the good ol USA Age: 22 Posts: 2,696 Thanks: 315 Thanked 20 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions I must be a fatass because I am a 38 and I'm a 17 and a half year old dude.... I seriously think that Japan doesn't need to trim down..... They are skinny enough as it is.... I;m not fat but I have a big butt because I am black..... __________________ What happened to Typhoon_4434? made by rasenganfox Last edited by sheik; 07-20-2008 at 12:14 PM.

07-21-2008, 05:40 PM	#10
DaRk_LoRd_SuPrEmE_3.14159 Missing-Nin Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: With my Mommy. Age: 43 Posts: 291 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions LOL, I'm average. I'm Asian, so I'm not fat.

07-30-2008, 06:25 AM	#11
kikuri Genin Join Date: May 2008 Location: hell? Age: 24 Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions woah! really? __________________ nee, shinde miru? ♥Fan's Clubs♥ Member: Akatsuki FC Petitioning: Team 7 FC ♥ ♪♫Owner of the Vampire Knight FC♫♪

07-30-2008, 08:50 AM	#12
Rath Hokuto Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fugghedaboutit Posts: 1,946 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions I've been noticing a lot of smaller kids becoming overweight in Taiwan and Japan... significantly different than from my last visit just a few years ago. I wonder why the campaign isn't focused on children, it seems to be a lot easier to prevent overweightness if you start earlier than when you're middle aged. __________________ ~psttt...click my 'stache~ and now most likely deceased sniff FanClub ~The Legend of Zelda FC~ ~Akatsuki FC~ ~Kakashi FC~

07-30-2008, 09:01 AM	#13
J.A.M.D. Genin Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: konohagakure Age: 18 Posts: 181 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions That makes a lot of scence to me, but I guess It's because children aren't the ones working. Then again, you can get a job way before you middle aged. Most likely It's because the middle aged people are fater, I'm not japanese I don't know.

07-30-2008, 10:25 AM	#14
Rock_Lee123 Academy Student Join Date: Jul 2008 Age: 17 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions hello frends

07-31-2008, 10:13 AM	#15
kikuri Genin Join Date: May 2008 Location: hell? Age: 24 Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions well, children are developing... and their food preferences are also growing. i think even though the oldies are the ones who are monitored, the children should be watched and instructed too. with the children, it's malnourishment. it's either underweight or overweight. __________________ nee, shinde miru? ♥Fan's Clubs♥ Member: Akatsuki FC Petitioning: Team 7 FC ♥ ♪♫Owner of the Vampire Knight FC♫♪

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