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 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 percent fatter than they were a decade ago, while women are more than six percent heavier. The ministry hopes to see a 25 percent reduction in the number of people at risk over three years.
PHOTO: AP
According to reports, firms will be required to cut the number of overweight workers and their dependents by 10 percent by 2012. Those that fail to reach the targets face surcharges of up to 10 percent on contributions to a welfare fund for the elderly.
"If it can prevent even a small number of people from developing cardiovascular diseases it will be good news for them and their families," Yuji Matsuzawa, director of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity, wrote in the Asahi newspaper.(THE GUARDIAN)
日本企業下個月起，將加入政府對抗腰圍變粗行列，為四十歲以上的人進行強制性「腰圍測量」，未能有效控制員工體重的企業將受到懲罰。
衛生單位希望能透過這些措施，遏止中年男性發福人數上升的趨勢，並減緩高漲的醫藥費用。四十歲以上的員工（約有五千六百萬人）都必須接受檢查，檢驗自己是否為代謝症候群的高危險群；代謝症候群的症狀多和體重過重相關，若不加以防範，會導致中風、心臟疾病和糖尿病的機率增加。他們將針對腰圍超過八十五公分的男性，提出運動和節食計畫，並建議情況較嚴重者去看醫生。
日本厚生勞動省估計，日本約有一千三百萬人是代謝症候群患者，另外一千四百萬人則屬於高危險群；和十年前相比，日本男性的體重約增加一成，女性體重則高出百分之六。厚生勞動省希望在三年內降低二成五的高風險人數。
報導指出，企業必須在二Ｏ一二年前將體重過重的員工和其眷屬人數減少一成；未達此目標者，必須額外負擔高達一成的老年福利基金。
日本肥胖學會會長松澤佑次在發表於《朝日新聞》的文章中寫道：「就算這項政策只能有效防止少數民眾罹患心血管疾病，那對他們和他們的家庭來說也將是美事一樁。」（衛報�翻譯：袁星塵）
A: Have you seen the reality TV show “Culinary Class Wars?” B: Sure! It’s a competition between two classes: 20 celebrity chefs dubbed the “white spoons” versus 80 non-celebrity chefs dubbed the “black spoons.” A: The two judges are master chef, Paik Jong-won, and South Korea’s only three-Michelin-star chef, Anh Sung-jae. B: And the grand prize is $300 million Korean won. A: After watching the show, I really wanna have some Korean food. A: 你有看電視實境秀《黑白大廚：料理階級大戰》嗎？ B: 當然啦！就是20位「白湯匙」名廚，和80位「黑湯匙」廚師的競賽。 A: 評審則是廚神白種元，及南韓唯一的米其林三星主廚安成宰。 B: 冠軍還可獲得3億韓元獎金呢！ A: 看完節目後我現在好想吃韓式料理喔。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: As reality TV show “Culinary Class Wars” causes a sensation, it may be more difficult to make a reservation at the show’s judge Paik Jong-won’s Taipei restaurant, Bornga Korean BBQ. B: The other judge, Anh Sung-jae, also served as a guest chef at Regent Taipei last June. A: Korean food has become a new trend in Taiwan lately, and restaurants such as Samwon Garden are quite popular. B: But that restaurant is so pricey. A: Then try the more affordable places, like my favorite, OKAY Korean BBQ, or others such as Annyeong Korean BBQ and OvenMaru Chicken. A:
Colorado has taken a pioneering move towards protecting consumer privacy in the age of brain-computer interfaces. With the rise of neurotechnology, which involves technology that monitors and interacts with the brain, data privacy concerns are coming to a head. In response to growing anxieties, Colorado has become the first state in the US to pass an amendment that safeguards the privacy of human brainwaves. On April 17, Colorado announced an update to its Privacy Act, which went into effect on August 6. The new Colorado Privacy Act classifies brainwaves as “sensitive personal information,” offering them the same protections that
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Neurotechnology used to be limited to scientific labs and hospital settings. However, many new devices that can record consumers’ brainwaves or analyze the brain in other ways have been launched in recent years. Often marketed outside the realm of medical equipment, these devices evade the existing safety and privacy standards for healthcare devices. Experts are raising concerns about this lack of oversight, fearing the potential for these tools to become mind-reading devices without users’ consent or knowledge. Other US states are considering similar regulations to protect their citizens in regard to neuro data gathered by technology companies. Colorado’s
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