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Against the Law to be Fat in Japan?

INA

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The country's Ministry of Health argues that the campaign will keep the spread of diseases like diabetes and strokes in check. The ministry also says that curbing widening waistlines will rein in a rapidly aging society's ballooning health care costs, one of the most serious and politically delicate problems facing Japan today.
I am missing something . . . The old people cost too much money to take care of, so they want to make sure that they are thinner and live longer. Age is not a disease. However, it is a more expensive way of being. The thinner old people will rack up health costs in other ways besides stroke and diabetes, and will live longer and be able to rack up [ ka-ching!] higher health costs.
 

nozflubber

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The thing with Japanese culture (China's too) is that just about everyone will go along with it if it's for the greater good of the people. This is how they are able to pass stringent measures such as this without any outcries of injustice.

As for the right to be fat, sure why not, but don't expect everyone and everything to be the same for your fatass, like airplane tickets - I honestly hope they do add in that extra fee for overweight passengers on flights. I have the right to be an asshole on these boards in a lot of ways, and I indulge in it, but I'm not naive about it and think that everyone is going to treat me the same way as a nice guy like Jeffster. (of course medical conditions are an exception to this, like gladular disorders and diabetes)

As for the efficacy of health care costs, I think that's a moot point for reasons mentioned and probably just politic rhetoric to get it passed. The REAL issue here about overweight people is how energy inefficient they are (in food costs, not just fuel) and how we cater to the sins of sloth in this country. I'm so tired of seeing fat people, as well as perfectly fit ones, ride the elevator up two stories when it would be better for them, as well as others, to just suck it up and take the stairs and get that extra bit of excercise. Walk instead of driving a half mile to the corner station or liquor store. It's not that hard, but people feel so entitled to do the bare minimum because they have a "right to be fat". Fine, be overweight, but don't be pissed when the whole that carries thier own weight and costs better than you do want to tax you for your extra burden. I hope Japan gets it passed.
 

nozflubber

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Big Brother wants to remain Big Brother.

This isn't about telling people how to think and/or behave, it's about creating incentives to NOT be a wasteful citizen. Efficiency is important
 

heart

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It may be crossing your or an American personal boundary, but is it crossing a Japanese personal boundary is what I'm asking. If they don't feel like their rights have been violated you can't make it be violated for them. That's why I'm curious about their reaction to these mandates.

What they pass there may well seep over here and excite the control fanatics who live here. Now many American corporations try to push the before work mandatory exercises on their workers.

FYI, I said nothing about trying to make it a violation of their boundaries, I merely asked if it was.
 

CzeCze

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I guess you can also look at it in terms of reward and punishment. In a communal society where there's already a lot of unofficial channels and incentive to be harmonious and in sync with the group, the threat of punishment or worse, the threat of shame and ostracization and social backlash can really motivate people.

In a more individual centered society where people are focused on getting ahead by themselves and people are very aware of individual freedoms and rights -- benefit is the way to go. Especially in a highly litigious culture like the states.

Businesses are already enticing employees into healthier lifestyles. Quest Diagnostics (the ginormous blood testing center) has a special program where they do 'glucose tolerance' tests and basically screen for diabetes and other health risks. Businesses pay for the tests and the benefit for employees is discounts in health insurance for healthy folks. Some businesses also give cash incentives, paid vacations, etc. as a reward for keeping in good health.

Businesses also offer more comprehensive health care plans to employees focusing on PREVENTATIVE care as well as alternative therapies (massage, acupuncture, chiropractor-ship?) and mental health.

Lots of businesses also offer free or reduced gym memberships to employees.
 

nozflubber

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^ that's probably the best way to do it - with positive incentives instead of negative - but what about everyone else? small businesses, government employees, college faculty, etc?
 
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proteanmix, what reason do we have to believe that Japanese employers might welcome being fined for the employees that they chose to hire? If they agreed with the governing body that says these employees were "unfit" for their positions, why would they have them on the payroll in the first place?
 

01011010

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First and foremost, Japan has the highest percentage of underweight people out of all developed nations. It's at 12% or so. They have diet ads everywhere for women around 100lbs, to lose and be in the low 80's to 70's. Yes, they promote being thin in an extremist manner. The stigma of being "fat" (being 20-30 lbs overweight is obese, in their eyes), is probably the most lowly thing any Japanese could ever be.

So, this outlook is already in place on a cultural level. It's been conditioned very strictly into society way before they decided those restrictions in the first place. Knowing that information, it's really no surprise they decided to proceed with regulations, in the manner they did.
 

CzeCze

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^ that's probably the best way to do it - with positive incentives instead of negative - but what about everyone else? small businesses, government employees, college faculty, etc?

I think because health is a for business venture and 'good health' translats into $ignificant monetary value -- non-profits can get in on this as well. As long as the insurance field stays the way it is always having to stay competitive, insurance companies and anyone who has to use insurance to cover employees will find ways to save money and entice employees to save them money.
 

Werewolfen

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Doesn't Japan also revere and honor their prized Sumo wrestlers who are also disgustingly obese ? Anyway , check this out...earlier this year 3 Mississippi House of Representatives tried to pass a bill banning restaurants from serving obese patrons Mississippi Pols Seek To Ban Fats - February 1, 2008 , though it didn't fly, it shows that we are going into an Orwell 1984 type scenario where the Government will try to control and micro manage every facet in our lives, also- I've always suspected for many years that one day Big Brother would try to charge the masses a tax on the air we breath> RealClearPolitics - Articles - Taxing Us for Breathing
 

Mondo

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This is stupid.
If people want to be disgustingly obese, people should have the right to be so.
This is assuming that people are too stupid to know they need to lose weight on their own.
The question is: Are people too stupid?
 

Mozzes

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This is stupid.
If people want to be disgustingly obese, people should have the right to be so.
This is assuming that people are too stupid to know they need to lose weight on their own.
The question is: Are people too stupid?

If people in Japan make the choice to be morbidly obese then at the very least they should waive their right to government subsidized health care. But maybe we're being a bit short sighted. After all, they'd fuel a surge in the cosmetic surgery industry. Could be good for the economy. Well as long as it's not subsidized by the government.

Though as for that I don't think I've ever heard "obesity" included amongst universal human rights. Care to expound upon your reasoning?
 

Lateralus

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Though as for that I don't think I've ever heard "obesity" included amongst universal human rights. Care to expound upon your reasoning?
Are you saying that all rights must be explicitly granted by the government. If they're not explicitly granted, the government can take them away at any time? If the government decided that playing computer games was harmful to your health, would you be okay with a ban on that activity? What about motorcycles? Sky diving? Procreation?
 

Mozzes

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Are you saying that all rights must be explicitly granted by the government. If they're not explicitly granted, the government can take them away at any time? If the government decided that playing computer games was harmful to your health, would you be okay with a ban on that activity? What about motorcycles? Sky diving? Procreation?

Are you saying that the ability to damage one's health through a combination of overeating and under-exercising should be a guaranteed right?

What I'm saying is that the government has as much power as you give it. If the government is going to subsidize a nation's health care then it has a fiscal responsibility to keep that cost reasonable. If you read my post carefully you'd see that I never stated the government should have the right to dictate personal behavior.

There's an awful lot of talk about rights these days but what about personal responsibility?
 
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