腰围太粗企业有责任

Battling to the Bulge Japanese Office Workers Told to Trim the Fat Japanese companies are now looking to trim the fat from their bottom line. Well, make that trim their employee's fat bottoms.

Now Kyung Lah looks at how a rise in obesity in Japan has the government there and employers looking for new ways to get workers back into shape. One by one, belly by belly, the guts came out and got measured. Naoki Wada is not looking forward to this.

At 93 centimeters, he's overweight, according to the Japanese government, and that just won't do under new national guidelines. And if he doesn't lose weight, his company faces massive fines and increased government health premiums.

" This goal is really tough, " says NEC's human relations manager. " It's a challenge." Companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of all employees and family members over the age of 40.

Men over 85 centimeters and women over 90 centimeters are considered overweight. Now, if you're thinking that's not fat, well, this is a nation that's not so big, but one that is getting bigger.

This is what the traditional Japanese meal looks like: some vegetables, miso soup and some fish. Total calorie count, about 600. But along came American fast food. This is a Big Mac, large fry and Coke. Total calorie count, 1,300, more than twice the Japanese meal.

You won't find American food in this cafeteria. NEC, facing $19 million in penalties if its employees don't slim down, is encouraging a low-calorie, healthy diet. Physical test tomorrow.

It's why he's chosen today's healthy meal-hopeful, but not expecting it'll help tomorrow. So, are you scared?

" Yeah, a little bit, " he says. Hoping to get employees moving, the company pumps out exercise music over the loudspeaker twice a day.

It's encouraging employees to take the stairs and exercise at every other floor. Can you imagine the U. S. government telling people, we want you to go down to a waist size 33?