Being fat in Japan is now apparently illegal

[Erana]

Well, its always a nice ego stroking to find that you're not too fat for a place as crazy as Japan.

 

[Numb1lp]

Tell 'em to do high school wrestling.

 

[Gmano]

I'm a bit skeptical. We're talking about the land of sumo wrestlers here.

Maybe they have to get a permit?

Also, do women get 5 extra cm because the government doesn't want to look sexist? or because this law will still apply during pregnancy.

EDIT: Actually, this law only applies to people over 40. Seeing as most sumo wrestlers are UNDER 40, it makes sense (although after they retire it will be hell trying to get back down)

 

[Cherry Cola]

The measurement is larger for women?

They should have a required penis-size in japan. Nobody with a penis larger than 1 inch can stay there (so there will be no tourists, but all the men that are Japanese can still live there)

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm over by a centimeter, and I'm not actually fat. o.o

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

It looks good in theory but this will just cause more problems. Most people who are fat are on the poorer end of the spectrum. Fast food is much cheaper than healthier gormet stuff. It just seems like a tax that will only increase the overall rich/poor divide.

 

[Radelaide]

The maximum measurements are 90 cm for women and 85 cm for men.

Source [http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/japan/091109/fat-japan-youre-breaking-the-law]

What's your view on this? Over-zealous or a necessary evil in order to curb weight-related health issues?

Those measurements are what is meant to be healthy for men and women. Although I'm surprised that there are restrictions; food in Japan is rather healthy. I wonder what the effects of this will be like.

 

[Amnestic]

Foolish. People are different heights and thus different builds. Sliding scale depending on height>>>Set figures across the board.

I agree, it'd be more logical for them to go with BMI or something if they have to regulate it.

I just measured my waist for comparison, and I'm at 70 cm. And I'm so thin that the doctors scold me every time I'm doing a health checkup because I don't eat enough.

Doesn't BMI generally fail to account for musclemass?

 

[Nomad]

Doesn't BMI generally fail to account for musclemass?

I have no idea. But it's certainly better than a waistline measurement. Hell, you get different measurements depending on how much you tighten the tape measure.

 

[Jimmyjames]

Fast food is much cheaper than healthier gormet stuff. It just seems like a tax that will only increase the overall rich/poor divide.

I might have taken you seriously had you known the correct spelling of "gourmet".

Fat/skinny is a media-driven bias. No more or less people are fat today, just more people pay attention to it.

It used to be that if you were overweight, it was a sign of wealth and health.

Just more bullshit on top of more bullshit.

 

[THAC0]

i think this is fantastic and hope the rest of the world follows.

 

[Kriptonite]

Just another brick in the wall of Japanese insanity.

 

[Amnestic]

It just seems like a tax that will only increase the overall rich/poor divide.

You know what's an awesome way for people to lose weight? Jogging. Guess what it costs you? A kick in the arse out the doorway, that's what.

 

[Gmano]

I'm over by a centimeter, and I'm not actually fat. o.o

This is the japanese standard, also, please note that there is a massive margin of error within these tests.

I think the article cited 7.3 cm difference for different tests on the same person.

 

[joshthor]

holy crap! that is very thin. i'd get fined. im 180 lbs and 6' 2". i have a 104 cm waistline and that isnt going to go down very much if at all. of course, in japan the average man is 5'5. still... thats tiny. i understand fining obese people maybe, if they hit like...130 cm or something. but thats cause they would be causing problems with public transportation and what not.

 

[magicaxis]

Lol good!

We should adopt that in America for a year... somebody call Obama.

Create a maximum waistline in both "the land of the free" and the worlds most overweight nation? Somehow i dont think that'd go down too well

 

[Deleted]

There goes my chances of going to Glorious Nippon to bring back a kawaii school girl who'll my tentacle manga with me :'(

 

[Evilbunny]

In America we declare being fat a disability and give them special parking spaces, in Japan they make it illegal. I'm in the wrong country.

 

[Epocu]

I think that is just fucked up. I know some people can be overweight or fat but they may have a medical problem or something and what does that mean for people visiting Japan... do they have to be thin as well?

I repeat. FUCKED. UP.

 

[D_987]

Ridiculous - it's their lives - let them get fat if they want to...