Tag: Metabo law

According to the OECD, as of 2009, only about 3.5% of the Japanese population was classified as obese, highlighting a significant cultural and lifestyle difference compared to Western countries. This reality raises many questions for foreigners or visitors about what if you are overweight in Japan and the societal norms and expectations that come with it.

With an obesity rate of less than 4% among adults, Japan stands in stark contrast to many developed nations, such as the United States, which faces rates approaching 40%. The question of how did Japan avoid obesity is a complex one, revealing a society-wide commitment to health that spans diet, culture, and government policy.

Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the developed world, with an estimated less than **4%** of the population classified as obese (BMI $\ge$ 30). This leads many to ask, **is it hard to get fat in Japan?** The answer involves a complex interplay of diet, daily habits, and cultural norms.

In 2008, Japan enacted the Metabo Law, a unique health initiative aimed at controlling healthcare costs, sparking international headlines asking: what are the fat rules in Japan?. Contrary to popular myth, it is not illegal to be fat in Japan, but the law does require annual waistline measurements for citizens aged 40 to 74 as part of a national health push.