There Goes Tokyo

"Anyone with a weight-related medical concern and whose waist is bigger than the acceptable size –- a rigorous 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women –- must lose weight, according to a new law in Japan. Otherwise, they face compulsory diet advice and follow-up visits for three to six months. For some perspective, the average male waist size in the U.S. is 39 inches, while American women average 36.5 inches.The idea is to reduce the ranks of the overweight by 10% over the next four years and 25% over the next seven years.

"If not, the government will start fining companies and local governments, who are the providers of health coverage for the majority of Japanese. Ultimately, Japan hopes this campaign will help curb its health-care costs, which have been increasing, just like waist sizes."

What? They're going to fine companies? I am in awe to say the least. Maybe it's because Japan is an island and they're worried the thinner people might get pushed off. But no matter how you slice it (Pun intended), Japan is one ballsey country.

So I ask myself, "self, could this work here?" Rara and I often ponder why aren't people's health taken into account when figuring out health insurance rates? If I go to great lengths to exercise, eat right, (Whole wheat pasta and organic broccoli while writing this), and keep my cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, then why are my rates the same as the guy eating Baconators? After all, we charge higher premiums to irresponsible drivers. Why not do the same for irresponsible eaters?

Our obesity epidemic is closely tied to socioeconomics and poor food choices are often a matter of logistics. There are no Whole foods in Roxbury, and fruits and vegetables don't last as long as preservative laden snack foods and frozen dinners. Another factor is the way foods are marketed. Lucky Charms are now allowed to tout having a serving of whole grains in every bowl. Vitamin water is mostly sugar, preservatives, and coloring, marketed as healthy. Gatorade asks, "Is it in you?" There should be a sub text that says, "Then get it out." Maybe they'd clean their act up if a ten percent fine were levied against their profits and reinvested into education, so that people could make more informed choices.

But how do you police these companies?

The FDA is a dinosaur. Remember Pirates Booty, that organic snack food with only 3 grams of fat, none of it saturated, and a calorie count so low you could eat a whole bag and not go overboard? The adage says, "If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is." Good Housekeeping tested Pirates Booty and found tons of saturated fat and calories. When wind of their findings caught the FDA's attention they sent the makers of Pirates Booty a letter, asking them to correct the label. It should have been pulled and the company fined, heavily. Pirates Booty issued a statement and placed it on every bag, undoubtedly written by their crack marketing team, stating that due to high demand they were forced to change the ingredients and didn't make a peep about getting bagged lying.

As with all our cultural problems, when you peel back the layers, you get more layers. I'll watch Japan closely; fingers crossed, and hope that even if they fall on their fat asses, they'll learn something valuable.

And then teach us.