It's going to be difficult for me to boycott everything Japanese...

[firecat]

...but if this report is true, I feel like I should.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/04/diversity-outlawed-in-japan.html
Excerpt:

To stem Japan’s “soaring obesity,” the health ministry has mandated that all waistlines among its 56 million workers over age 40 be below “regulation size” of 33.5 inches (for men). Any company failing to bring its employees’ weight under control — as well as the weights of their family members — will be fined up to 10% of its earnings by the government.

Comments

[firecat]

It takes but the stroke of a policy pen to create a waist measurement above a certain number to be a "pre-existing condition" and then poof, no healthcare unless you pay through the nose for it.

In the US there is in fact such a pre-existing condition - it's a BMI higher than a certain number. Which makes about as much sense as a waist size, in terms of predicting current future health problems.

So far if you belong to a large enough company you can still get coverage if you have a BMI higher than 30, but forget it if you belong to a small company or try to get individual coverage.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Huh. I've always known that I can't leave Kaiser since nobody else (other than straight Medicare) has to cover me, but I've always thought of it being because of all the things wrong with me. Now it could be my weight.

Kaiser and Medicare have spent $2M on me in the last 25 years, but not a bit of it has to do with my weight.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Our way's not perfect, but so far I like it better. Fucked if I'm moving to Japan, though.