Editor’s note: This article was first published in September 2014, as a news item about a rule in force in Japan since 2008.
Although whenever we talk about Japan it seems to be to mention some oddity or strange product inventions that are hard for us to understand in Western culture, the truth is that Japan is an example of efficiency at work, an extremely respectful culture and a place where the government considers it taboo to talk about laying off workers to improve companies’ productivity. In fact, for a Japanese business owner, firing a worker to balance the company’s books is a kind of social dishonour. Put another way, cutting staff to make a profit means failing as a business owner.
But since 2008, all companies in Japan have been required to fight obesity among their workers, even though Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world.
Every company must measure the waist of its workers over 40 once a year. If a man’s waist is over 85 cm, or a woman’s over 90 cm, the worker is first given a deadline to reduce it by losing weight. If they fail, the company must (by government order) make the worker attend weight-loss classes, where dietitians and instructors help them lose weight.
Companies are required to reduce the number of overweight workers, but if they don’t manage it, they won’t fire the worker; instead, the government will raise the company’s taxes with a higher rate.
The measure was taken because of the Japanese government’s healthcare spending on obesity-related illnesses, which is estimated to cost the government around 11% of GDP.
It is striking that it is Japan that has taken this measure, and not the United States, the country with the highest obesity rate in the world, as this chart by flabbyfashionista showed.
We should also remember that Japan is the land of sumo wrestlers, who are regarded as something like gods in the culture.
What would happen if a measure like this were applied in any other country in the world?
Read: What you should know when negotiating with the Japanese
