Posted by
Wil on Friday, June 13, 2008 1:58:42 PM
In this article from the New York Times, Japans new policy of requiring local governments and companies to enfore wastline standards is discussed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?no_interstitial
Basically, the gist is if a mans waistline is over 33 inches or a womans over 34.5 inches, they are put on a strict diet and exercise regimen. If they do not lose the inches, the locality or company is punished for not enforcing the standard. All of this comes about because nearly 80% of Japans population is on its state run medical system. As this group ages, and as Japan has fewer and fewer young people to "share the burden". the health costs for the government are becoming unsustainable.
Think about this a bit. can you imagine anything more personal and invasive than a government agency monitoring your eating and exercise habits? Can you think of anything a government willing to do this would not control.....I can imagine these headlines coming from Japan:
"Government closes underground McDonalds operation"
"Government states that TV is unhealthy and installs devices allowing only 2 hours of TV per day"
"Government installs treadmills on bullet train so commuters can "train on the train"
"Japan implements mandated PT, imports retired Marines to run new program"
I myself need to shed some weight and have been working to do so, but I can imagine nothing that would make memore angry than some annoying guy at the DMV saying "Sorry, you don't get your drivers license, you are too fat" or some county planning official saying, "sorry, you can't build that addition on your home, you don't meet the government waistline standard." Think it can't happen here?