In case you didn’t see this in the New York Times recently, Japan has taken a very aggressive stance to ensure the health of its citizens.  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 checkup.

Those exceeding government limits, which have been set at 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, will be given 3 months to lose weight, at which point they will be provided dieting guidance if they do not lose weight.  If necessary, those people will be directed toward more weight loss education if there is no improvement over 6 additional months.

Here’s the kicker – 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 Ministry of Health will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets.  Imagine if your employer was fined because you were fat – that does not seem like a good way to advance in your career!  What if your local taxes increased because there were too many fat people in your town?!

Perhaps the most telling comment came from a professor in Tokyo who felt that the campaign was unnecessary in Japan because they are so slender already, but “if you did this in the United States, there would be benefits, since there are many Americans who weigh more than 100 kilograms” (220 pounds).  No doubt that the U.S. government, as well as the health insurance providers, will be watching this program very closely.

Is it any wonder why the Japanese are especially vulnerable to fad diets like the Banana Diet that became popular there recently!

So, don’t wait for the Government, or worse, your employer to tell you to lose weight!

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