‘Metabo Law’: The Only Country That Legally Mandates Waist Circumference Checks For Adults | World News
The world became aware of Japan’s unique approach to health through a law that required the waist size of a large portion of its adult population to be measured in a certain way. The law was dubbed ‘Metabo’ and it literally ‘went viral’ across social media sites and networks.
One of the viral posts on the social networking site Instagram said that in Japan there is a law that literally limits how fat a person can be, and the term used is “Metabo Law”. This shows that body control is seen as preventive medicine, at least in Japan.
What is the Metabolic Law?
Add Zee News as Preferred Source
The legislation in question is the Metabolic Syndrome Prevention Act passed by the Japanese government in 2008. The main purpose behind the legislation is not to prevent obesity with heavy penalties, but to prevent the risks associated with metabolic syndrome.
According to this system, all citizens between the ages of 40-74 must undergo mandatory health checks every year. An integral part of these health checks is the mandatory waist measurement of the citizen.
Waist Circumference Restrictions and Guidelines
The legislation identified waist circumference markers that indicate health risk, particularly related to visceral fat accumulation, which is known to be highly associated with cardiovascular disease and premature death.
The Japanese Metabo Law established specific waist circumference measurements for citizens aged 40 to 74, indicating potential health risk.
For men, a measurement exceeding 85 centimeters (33.46 inches) is considered an indicator of risk. The threshold for women is slightly higher, set at 90 centimeters (35.43 inches).
People who exceed these limits are then offered free guidance and counseling programs aimed at reducing visceral fat associated with metabolic syndrome.
Critical Difference: There is no penalty when these limits are exceeded, and individuals can benefit from the following free services:
- Nutrition Consultancy
- Exercise instructions
- tracking programs
The main purpose of the law is to detect health problems before they turn into serious diseases and therefore alleviate the burden on the healthcare system caused by lifestyle diseases.
Social Reaction on Social Media
This post on social media sparked different reactions around the world:
Health Support: A fair number of people appreciated that the intervention was proactive. One user wrote, “We all need this intervention. This will help reduce a huge amount of suffering due to lifestyle diseases and reduce stress on our medical systems!!”
Another user said, “Eating healthy and looking healthy is not only a matter of the state, but also our responsibility to ensure that our nation is healthy.”
Cultural Questions: Several users asked a number of cultural questions, such as what happens to Sumo wrestlers because they are culturally important but have an above-average body mass index.
READ ALSO | Bizarre ‘Biological Shield’ Protocol: Why Putin Needs Six Guards on Bathroom Trips to Hide Health Data | VIRAL VIDEO
