Re: Measuring waistlines in Japan

[Guest guest]

It points to the crudeness of BMI and simple metrics for health. But it sounds like it could be useful to help identify people who might benefit from some "education". I wonder if they bother to measure their sumo wrestlers? Apparently they store their excess fat just beneath the skin so it's less harmful than typical obese.JR On Jun 15, 2008, at 7:35 AM, Arturo Veve wrote:AllHere is an article that seems like it belongs in the satirical newspaper The Onion, if it were about an undertaking in the US. Could this lead to taxing people for exceeding waistlines? Hey, it could become a way to help the national budget deficit.Cheers,ArturoJapan, 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.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.Full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/13/japan-enforces-legal-limi_n_106949.html

[Guest guest]

Sumo wrestlers are revered athletes in Japan. I'm sure they

get an exemption. How would you " educate " them anyway

without ruining their careers? They eat, sleep, and train

specifically for the fat distribution, flexibility, speed,

and balance.

-

Re: [ ] Measuring waistlines in Japan

It points to the crudeness of BMI and simple metrics for health. But it

sounds like it could be useful to help identify people who might benefit

from some " education " .

I wonder if they bother to measure their sumo wrestlers? Apparently they

store their excess fat just beneath the skin so it's less harmful than

typical obese.

JR

[Guest guest]

Although the absolute waist measurement is good for a population with

similar height characteristics, it is disappointing that Japan did not

opt to use the Waist-to-Height ratio which provides a better measure

of the anthropomorphic distribution of mass.

Tony

>

> All

> Here is an article that seems like it belongs in the satirical

newspaper The Onion, if it were about an undertaking in the US. Could

this lead to taxing people for exceeding waistlines? Hey, it could

become a way to help the national budget deficit.

> Cheers,

> Arturo

>

> 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.

>

> 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.

>

> Full article:

>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/13/japan-enforces-legal-limi_n_106949.html

>