Japan's New Health Campaign

[bcat85]

So it appears that Japan is having their citizens pass a sort of waist-line check in order to help curb healthcare costs and improve its overall population health.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?no_interstitial

What do you guys think?

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[medking]

So it appears that Japan is having their citizens pass a sort of waist-line check in order to help curb healthcare costs and improve its overall population health.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?no_interstitial

What do you guys think?

If waistline can really be a true indicator of obesity(i would think % body fat might be better), then I see no problem. Some "freedoms" are not needed as much as others.

 

[foster033]

Did you see the passing requirement....33.5 in for men.That's pretty small, even in Japan, and kind of a ridiculous requirement to meet if you ask me. I believe it says that's right around the avg. waist size for Japanese men, which means according to this test ~50% of Japanese men are overweight... I think everyone can see that's not true.

 

[bcat85]

Did you see the passing requirement....33.5 in for men.That's pretty small, even in Japan, and kind of a ridiculous requirement to meet if you ask me. I believe it says that's right around the avg. waist size for Japanese men, which means according to this test ~50% of Japanese men are overweight... I think everyone can see that's not true.

I noticed that too. But in the U.S., I think they set 40 as the bar for men and something around 35 for women. That seems more accurate.

 

[1956Goldtop]

33 waistline seems ridiculously small to have as the waistline threshold.

 

[gates_2]

I'm in Japan right now and can say that 33.5 is not that small for Japan... I've see so few "large" Japanese people that it is almost scary...

It's funny though.. Everyone here has the stereotype that all Americans are overweight and carry pistols around with them all the time. Most are shocked to see me, and more shocked that I don't own a gun.

Oh, and apparently some Japanese think that Friday the 13th is a bad day for Christians...


-Loving it!

 

[medking]

33 waistline seems ridiculously small to have as the waistline threshold.

Maybe from the perspective of people living in the US, 33 might seem ridiculously small, but once you go abroad, you really realize how overweight Americans are (especially if you go to Japan). "Normal" in America is definitely not "normal" around the world.

 

[foster033]

Maybe from the perspective of people living in the US, 33 might seem ridiculously small, but once you go abroad, you really realize how overweight Americans are (especially if you go to Japan). "Normal" in America is definitely not "normal" around the world.

It says in the article that the average waist size of men in Japan is 32.8. This falls just below the new requirement. So 33.5 does seem to be a bit on the low side since I believe everyone can agree that most Japanese people are not overweight but nearly half will be considered so under this requirement.

This is actually probably the goal in an effort to make companies pay more for health care by handing out fines to ones that don't meet the unreasonable goals set by the government.

 

[medking]

It says in the article that the average waist size of men in Japan is 32.8. This falls just below the new requirement. So 33.5 does seem to be a bit on the low side since I believe everyone can agree that most Japanese people are not overweight but nearly half will be considered so under this requirement.

This is actually probably the goal in an effort to make companies pay more for health care by handing out fines to ones that don't meet the unreasonable goals set by the government.

Well, average is just average (it doesnt really matter in this case). Just because an average is some number, doesn't mean that that average is something "healthy" (obviously healthy is defined differently in different parts of the world) In the article is has a graph of "healthy" people's average waist, not all peoples average waist. The new waist size is slightly above that. Yes, it may seem strict, but I don't think that's what the government is going for. If making your citizens healthy is your goal, strictness should not matter.

Personally, I don't know what intentions the Japanese government has, but at least on paper they are trying to reduce obesity. Sounds fine to me.

 

[bcat85]

I'm in Japan right now and can say that 33.5 is not that small for Japan... I've see so few "large" Japanese people that it is almost scary...

It's funny though.. Everyone here has the stereotype that all Americans are overweight and carry pistols around with them all the time. Most are shocked to see me, and more shocked that I don't own a gun.

Oh, and apparently some Japanese think that Friday the 13th is a bad day for Christians...


-Loving it!

I suppose I could see where they get that impression

 

[redlight]

So it appears that Japan is having their citizens pass a sort of waist-line check in order to help curb healthcare costs and improve its overall population health.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?no_interstitial

What do you guys think?

its... errr... a creative way to tackle health care costs?
i found these lines slightly amusing:

“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.” haha, low blow

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!” hmm, no comment..