Asian Discrimination

[Will E Worm]

It's illegal to be fat in Japan

Okay, so maybe it's not literally illegal to be fat in Japan. However, thanks to an anti-obesity law passed last year, Japanese salarymen across the nation are pulling up their shirts to have their guts measured... and if they're overweight, they face consequences.

Here's how it works. Say you're an average, hardworking Japanese salaryman (or woman) over the age of 40 who's been packing on the pounds thanks to a few too many Windows 7 whoppers. Your company's annual health checkup rolls around, and you have your waistline measured. If you're male and your waist is over 33.5 inches, you're considered fat. If you're female, the limit is 35.4 inches. Thanks to those burgers, you now have to attend mandatory counseling with a physician. For every grotesquely obese employee like yourself, your company gets hit by a fine; ergo, they strongly encourage you to lose weight with gifts of gym memberships and pedometers.

The goal of all this is to prevent Japan from experiencing an obesity epidemic like so many other industrialized nations. The theory is the less overweight people you have, the lower health care costs will be across the board. Although I think the waistline restrictions are a bit strict (how is a six foot tall foreigner supposed to have a 33-inch waist?), this seems like a good idea overall. America could certainly benefit from less junk in the trunk... but would such a system work here?

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Japan

Tentacle porn is okay, but porn must be censored, and no large people... makes sense.

The national age of consent in Japan is 13 as specified by the Japanese Penal Code Articles 176 and 177. Link

 

[Will E Worm]

A study finds most people support some anti-discrimination laws protecting the obese

Discrimination happens every day, but obese people have little recourse when it happens to them, since there is no federal law protecting this population. But a survey reveals that public opinion may be in favor of anti-discrimination laws--to a point.

Researchers from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University surveyed 1,001 adults about their opinions on legal and legislative matters relating to obesity discrimination. They were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with statements such as "Obesity should be considered a disability under the Americans with Disability Act so that obese people will be protected from discrimination in the workplace," "The government should play a more active role in protecting overweight people from discrimination," "Overweight people should be subject to the same protections and benefits offered to people with physical disabilities," and "The government should play a more active role in protecting overweight people from discrimination."

The study participants were also asked if it should be illegal for an employer to refuse to hire a qualified person because of his/her body weight; fire a qualified employee because of his or her body weight; or deny a promotion or appropriate compensation to a qualified employee because of his or her body weight.

Participants tended to favor adopting laws stopping employers from discriminating against obese people in the workplace than they did laws considering obesity a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or with laws offering comparable protections to obese people that disabled people already have.

Women tended to support the laws more than men did, but the majority of men and women thought employers should not being allowed to discriminate against, fire, or deny obese people promotion because of their weight. Survey-takers who were obese tended to agree with the laws more than normal-weight people.

But many normal weight participants agreed with some of the laws and legislation, such as states including weight in their civil rights law.

"It appears that there is broad recognition of weight discrimination and the need for legal remedies across individuals with varying body weights," the authors wrote.

The story was published in the January issue of the journal Obesity.

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[Kingfisher]

That would go over as well in most of the U.S. like Ebola.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

the only comment I'd make is that you can't expect everyone to have a 33.5 inch waist. I am 6'5". If I had a 33.5 waist, I'd look like a skeleton.

My wheelhouse is 36 inches, maybe 34. Much below that and I start looking gaunt.

 

[gunslingingbird]

I know a guy who's about 6'5", and is down to a sprightly 380 from his portlier 496 2 years ago. He now wears a modest 4XL, down from 7XL. Earlier this year he flew to Florida, and was ecstatic that for the first time in his life he was able to buy just one plane ticket each way. Obviously he's making an effort, but, if he worked in Japan, would it be enough?

 

[Sam Fisher]

"It's illegal to be fat in Japan"

Did Bloomberg become Japan's newest Prime Minister? :stir:

 

[TheSpokenWheel]

I always thought the movie "Battle Royale" would've been better with fat people instead of teenagers. Good idea, dumb execution.

 

[Ace Bandage]

What if it was illegal to be stupid?

That's a world that I want to live in.

 

[Johan]

Here's how it works. Say you're an average, hardworking Japanese salaryman (or woman) over the age of 40 who's been packing on the pounds thanks to a few too many Windows 7 whoppers. Your company's annual health checkup rolls around, and you have your waistline measured. If you're male and your waist is over 33.5 inches, you're considered fat. If you're female, the limit is 35.4 inches. Thanks to those burgers, you now have to attend mandatory counseling with a physician. For every grotesquely obese employee like yourself, your company gets hit by a fine; ergo, they strongly encourage you to lose weight with gifts of gym memberships and pedometers.

What about ex-sumos ?
'Cause 33.5, for a sumo, its their thighs !

 

[VeronicaVice]

That's a bit drastic...