IT IS NOT OKAY TO BE FAT....In Japan

The Western Diet

In America you get in trouble for having drug paraphernalia, not curbing your dog, public urination and tampering with mail boxes. But over in one of the most fascinating places I have ever been it is now against the law to be obese.  According to a CNN news video I watched the other night, It is now illegal to be fat in Japan.

In the video they describe how obesity was never really a problem in Japan until the arrival of American fast food. Apparently our Eastern friends are not very happy with the results of the "Western Diet" aka "Man Diet." CNN reports that a traditional Japanese meal is about 600 calories where as a McDonald's meal (introduced to them by us) is roughly 1300 calories. Holy smokes (the Cigarettes that God prefers) that is more than double the calories.

From now on companies are going to be regulated to make sure that their employees maintain a healthy waste size (33 inches for men and 35 for women) The CNN report did not mention a regulation of Body Fat composition which is likely a better indication of potential health troubles rather than waste size but hey who cares as long as they are taking steps to reverse this problem to save themselves from spending a lot more money on employee insurance packages.



I wonder if something like this would ever fly here in the U.S. Most likely the answer is no.  I have a 33 inch waist and I am guaranteed to get bigger than that over the next ten years.  But then again we are naturally quite a bit plumper than our Japanese friends.

We live in the excess capital of the world and I actually am proud of that except for the fact that a lot of people die from eating way to much fast food and other easily obtained calories.

When I went to Japan in the summer of 2007 I went to a McDonald's and it seemed very much the same except with a few variations in the menu, presentation, and they put ice cubes in the orange juice.

I would highly recommend visiting if you haven't and be sure to get an ice cold O.J. for a walk in the scorching hot summer heat in the Tokyo Streets.

I have to go, I'm very hungry.

Here is a link to that CNN Video if you are interested. Enjoy

Illegal to be fat in Japan

Dale Fanella