Tubby Tax

[kurohinge1]

[SIZE="4"]Japanese firms face penalties for overweight staff[/SIZE]

Corporate Japan will join the country's battle against bulging waistlines next month with the introduction of compulsory "flab checks" for the over-40s and penalties for firms that fail to bring their employees' weight under control.

Health authorities hope the measures will arrest the rise in obesity among middle-aged men and slow soaring medical costs. All employees over 40 - about 56 million people - will be required to take the test to determine whether they are at risk of metabolic syndrome - symptoms associated with being overweight that, if left unchecked, increase the risk of strokes, heart disease and diabetes. Men with girths of more than 85cm (33.5in) will be given exercise and diet plans and, in urgent cases, told to see a doctor.

The health ministry estimates that 13 million Japanese suffer from metabolic syndrome, while another 14 million are at risk. Men are about 10% fatter than they were a decade ago, while women are more than 6% heavier. The ministry hopes to see a 25% reduction in the number of people at risk over three years.

According to reports, firms will be required to cut the number of overweight workers and their dependants by 10% by 2012. Those that fail to reach the targets face surcharges of up to 10% on contributions to a welfare fund for the elderly . . . more

[maraboutslim]

Brilliant! I hope this idea spreads to the USA as well. The fines collected would be so massive they'd pay off the debt and shore up the social security system in the first year alone.

[Iraira]

Brilliant! I hope this idea spreads to the USA as well. The fines collected would be so massive they'd pay off the debt and shore up the social security system in the first year alone.

This is my memory speaking, so the details are cloudy, but I know a couple US companies have told their tobacco smokers to quit or get new jobs. The company is paying for health care, so they don't want to get saddled with buying new lungs in the future. A couple companies also used the "drop pounds or drop wages" thing. Not sure how it all panned out after everyone sued everyone.

[Midwinter]

Awesome idea, then they can invite Big Brother over to their employee's homes in order to ensure that people are having sex and producing babies. Japan will be ship-shape in no time

[hundefar]

That is strange, since latest research show that overweight people and smokers are actually cheaper when it come to health care costs, because they tend to die at an earlier age.

more here

[ttjereth]

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?&p=182112#post182112

[Iraira]

That is strange, since latest research show that overweight people and smokers are actually cheaper when it come to health care costs, because they tend to die at an earlier age.

more here

And smokers throw in a lot in taxes, which keeps everything rolling along, then they die sooner, taking less out...smokers should be rewarded for this. Alcoholics also. Can you imagine how much a good heroin addict would contribute to government coffers, if opiates were legal? Plus, they probably would OD before hitting retirement age.