Japanese gov't takes waist sizes into the law's hands
 

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=ht...25-ci61bQ3A1JD

Pretty crazy...

what the frig... my waistline is 35, and im considered underweight because of my height, which means if I move to japan, not only do i get called skinny, but the government fines me for being fat.

i am soooo not moving to japan now.

um..women are allowed to be fatter than men, interesting.

don't women naturally have larger hips? im not complaining either

Go Japan!! Finally a country to put a foot down to this lazy, fattening world.

yeah but they're going at it all wrong...

They said to hell with personal freedoms, brilliant lol

GIANT HAMSTERBALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats what the fat ppl in japan will be forced into..
________
WEED

Yes, but this is about measuring waist sizes, not hips.

- Justin

How could they impose a set waistline limit without taking height into account?

exactly. the government has no place living your life for you.

Practice what you preach, america the same. laws are made for a reason, theres no such thing as freedom of everything. look at america adn the rise of diabetes, and other diseases. the ratio of fat people in America are 1 in 4, thats F***in sad, its so bad we have people compete to lose weight on TV, we have to pay people to lose weight, and then theres those who sue companies for making them fat, its not their fault they didnt know when to go ok, maybe I should go run outside or something. so instead of looking at this as oh their freedom is being taken away, boo hoo, look at this as finally someone, or some nation for that matter is finally taking a stand at the amount of obesity in the world, and caring abotut their people. Unlike America, Japan cares about the health and well being of their citizens as far as I can seei n this. if Japanese people watched their weight more, this wouldnt have become an issue, and soon hopefully America will have this.

But the point is we have the power of CHOICE. Who are YOU to say how skinny or fat someone can be? Who are YOU to say what people can and can't eat? The end does NOT justify the means.

When I say "you" I don't mean you personally.

If your ass is spread halfway into my seat at the movie theater, you're too fat.

If you complain about not being able to fit in coach on a plane, you're too fat.

If people can't get around you on the sidewalk, at the mall, or in the hallway, you're too fat.

If a perfectly good chair breaks while you're sitting on it, you're too fat.


Who am I? A free-speaking newbie to the forums. Lose weight, fatty. Since the article is apparently no longer freely available, I'll fill you in. The government is imposing fines on provinces who don't meet the particular standard... it is not jailing citizens or jotting down waisteline numbers in their criminal records. Will taxes increase as a result? Probably. How's that any different from taxing cigarettes, though? This isn't the end of the world; it's a step in the right direction.

what about the sumo wrestlers?

because its japan. no one there is over 5' anyhow ;)

this is the kind of thing that scares the **** out of me. people who willingly accept the fact that the government is creeping into their lives.

I dont see this as a step in the right direction. I certainly would never want this to be implemented in America either. I'm not saying that because I am over weight. I'm 5'11" and 155lbs.

America prides itself on freedom, at least it used to. If someone wants to be overweight, let them. it doesnt affect you at all, so why would you want a third party to step in and tell them how to live their own life?

Like hell it doesn't affect the rest of us. Health care costs are largely affected by obesity and related cases.

And I think you need to take a bit closer look into what the government consists of... people just like you and me! If you have a real problem with government "creeping into our lives" then go get involved. Obesity is a problem, the government represents the public, and it's time to do something about it. You are free to vote and/or run for a position that will put you as an authority to oppose any such motion.

If you finish reading the article it states that most japanese can't afford to lose the weight, they're relatively a thin culture. setting a standard for all heights and sizes is RETARDED

yea....ummmmm, so what happens to sumo wrestlers?????

LOL I guess they get an exemption?

Linked only for the "Oh Snap!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I0WfnhVs2s

no one is forcing you to buy into the health care system. It's only affecting you because you chose to buy health care, which is a personal choice that you have made.

the government absolutely DOES NOT consist of people like you and me. it consists of professional liars who are looking to further their own means, nothing more.

I am "involved" as you state it. I dont vote for incumbents. the sooner I can vote those idiots out of office the better.

yes, obesity is a problem. its an individuals problem. if someone cant get their act together enough to take care of their own body and want the government to help them, that's just pitiful!

whatever happened to personal accountability? taking responsibility for ones actions? are people really that dependent on others to take care of them? its like those idiots that sue fast food companies because they got fat. what the hell did you think was going to happen!?!?!

so my official stance on this, in case anyone hasn't noticed, is that I am AGAINST government intrusion into peoples personal matters.

alot of you people need to take a simple american government class. our government is a thing of beauty. its designed to be completley self servicing through checks and balances. even the people are protected through the constitution and the bill of rights. do you guys know the reason of the bill of rights? its to protect us from GOVERNMENT, not other people. the founding fathers were smart, they knew someone was going to come along and try and manipulate teh people. its being done now through shady business but its not supposed to be like that. every single household should carry a copy of the federalist papers, the social contract, and because i'm a Tocquevillian, Democracy in America. i'll say it again, our government is a thing of beauty. it is self-sustained and protects us from the government ever doing anything stupid.

that being said, the government cannot regulate obesity in america. the only way they can do that is indirectly. mandate all foods to be slightly healthier. tax teh crap out of ciggarettes. promote healthy eating and exercise. thats all we can do because of our government is forbidden from imposing on our wants. Ian said he is against government intervention which basically means, i like stuff done the way it was supposed to be done.

exactly!