Japanese Government Attacks Metabo.
June 17, 2008 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Diets and Dieting, Extreme, Health, Media, Misc., Morning News, Obesity, Politics
Japanese people may smoke too much and work too much. But on the whole they really can’t be accused of being overweight or metabo as the Japanese prefer to call it.
The Japanese goverment, however, thinks otherwise and has embarked on a mandatory campaign to slim it’s nation down. Two months ago they passed a national law that requires all companies and local governments to measure the waists of their employees (including family members) aged 40 to 74 as part of their annual checkups. With almost half the Japanese population fitting into this category, that makes an awful lot of waists to be measured.
The new law puts the maximum limit for male waistlines at 33.5 inches and women at 35.4 inches. Anyone exceeding this will be expected to bring their waists into line with the approved government standards through dietary advice, guidance, and education. Failure to do so will result in the financial penalties being imposed on the employee’s company and local government.
Reducing waistlines has much scientific merit. Studies have proven that being thick around the middle increases your risk of having a heart attack, or gettng cancer, diabetes, and dementia.
So maybe the Japanese government is on the right track but somehow I can’t see the same tactics being used in the United States or England.
Can you?
(source)
POSTSCRIPT: After posting ‘Japanese Government Attacks Metabo’ I received an email from a reader who suggests that my statement ‘reducing waistlines has much scientific merit’, based on information from a NYT article, might not necessarily be right. The email went on to say ‘ Please consider that all studies are not created equally and correlations are not causations. The facts do not support waistlines as a causative factor in any chronic disease of aging’ and included a link to Metabo — Is a small waistline a measure of health? an article that asks “While having a trim waistline to avoid the dreaded metabo and reduce medical costs has become a popular health mandate, is it evidence-based?” Have a read. Citing numerous studies, Sandy makes a compelling arguement that ‘having a small waist was not a measure of lower risks and having a larger waist size was not a measure of higher risks.’
To your concern the INFINITI dealership in Moscow is currently on its downfall due to a lack of customer service and i have gathered some documentation for you i think you will find this beneficial to the NISSAN organization to take a close look at the information i have provided you.
Forgive me, but your help is necessary for me. I have written some letters to address with ask pass my letter to the General Director of company Nissan in Tokyo to Mr.Carlos Ghosn
on what has received answer: Dear Mr. Gennadiy Bugrin,
This is in reply to your email concerning our Infiniti dealer. First of
all, thank you for your interest in our company.
We regret to hear about the conduct of our Infiniti dealer. With regard
to your concern we have contacted Nissan Motor RUS, which represents
Nissan in Russia. Nissan Motor RUS is in the best position to address
your concern and handle this matter.
Nissan Motor RUS
52/5 Kosmodianskaya Emb.
Moscow 113054
RUSSIA
TEL: 7-495-543-9696
Thank you for your information.
Katsumasa INOUE
Assistant Manager
Customer Affairs Group 02. July, 2008. 10:18:20
Dear Mr. Gennady Bugrin,
This is in reply to your email concerning our Infiniti dealer.
We would like to confirm that Nissan Motor Rus has complete authority
over Nissan’s product and service in Russia.
We will relayed your concerns to Nissan Motor Rus once again.
Your understanding will be much appreciated.
Katsumasa INOUE
Assistant Manager
Customer Affairs Group 04. July, 2008 13:31:59
I am assured that a question very important and intervention of representatives of General Office Nissan in Tokyo is necessary, the question concerns prestige of company Nissan and Japan as a whole. The behaviour of heads official dealer Nissan Infiniti in Moscow discredits the Japanese quality and an order. It is necessary to clean urgently “decayed tooth” that the healthy have not suffered from it. Send to me please E Mail. address that I could send fuller information and photos which it is necessary a pass for General Director Nissan in Tokyo.
Thank You, Gennadiy Bugrin, Russia, Moscow, bugrin@mail.ru
8(903)139-5848 cell, 8(499)264-8394 home, fax