Obesity association may revise controversial metabolic gauge

Wednesday 18th November, 11:39 AM JST

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Fadamor at 12:35 AM JST - 19th November

BMI is a horrible metric for how healthy you are. As was posted above, athletes record a high BMI that has nothing to do with the percentage of fat in their bodies. So someone working out to reduce their BMI will actually see it bottom out, then start to RISE again even though they are still burning off fat.
pathat at 12:47 AM JST - 19th November

netgaijin wrote:

"People should consider Body Fat Composition, not BMI or waistline to judge obesity."

Exactly

This was the first topic I commented on in my comments archive on the new JT:

"Toshio Mochizuki, director of the Medical Urban Clinic in Osaka and author of “I’m Metabo, So What?” In a bid to curb spiraling medical costs due to obesity and related diseases, the government will require companies to cut the number of overweight workers (men with a waistline larger than 85 cm) by 20% by 2015. Failure to do so will result in a surcharge on contributions to a fund for elderly care. (Bloomberg)"

I remember this was a frequent topic of discussion toward the end of the old JT, too.

"Metabo" was an interesting novelty for the Japanese to discusss for a couple of years, but then the government started sticking its nose into people's private affairs with misguided assumptions about what is healthy and what is not according to waistline measurements, and now the whole overblown issue is coming full circle back to a needed reality check.

I'm not saying there aren't more health concerns in recent years about overweight people in Japan-especially among the salaryman sector of the population, but it takes much more than a tape measure around someone's waistline to figure out the overall health of the individual.

Anyway, the Metabo thing has been a financial windfall for the thousand and one businesses which sprung up to save the Japanese people with so-called fitness and diet tips to stop the fat.

Each individual has the responsibility for his or her health.
pathat at 12:57 AM JST - 19th November

"Businesses cash in on metabolic syndrome"

Another trip down memory lane at the new JT brings this article and I think Nessie's comments are spot on:

"Metabolic syndrome" is English and it's distinct from obesity, but it's crappy newspeak and not properly descriptive. Metabolism is something everone has and needs. It's like saying you have "breathing syndrome." Does that mean too much breathing? Too little breathing? Irregular breathing? A collection of irregular breathing symptoms? A collection of heavy-breathing action figures? A collection of heavy-breathing prank phone calls?

Even worse, the American Heart Association seems to suufer from definite article syndrome on this one: "The metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common." "The" metabolic syndrome? WTF is up with that?!?"
whatsgoinon at 01:05 AM JST - 19th November

Netgaijin, in response to:

I hear though that Sumos have all muscles, and hardly any fat. I have no foundation for this, but Sumo wrestlers do look fat, though I think they live long and healthy. Any inputs?

I have never heard this. In fact, I have always heard that they die young and have an average life span somewhere in their 40's, so I checked.

In fact, according to Wikepedia, "Sumo wrestlers have a life expectancy of between 60 and 65, more than 10 years shorter than the average Japanese male. They often develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and are prone to heart attacks."
realist at 01:22 AM JST - 19th November

I never heard of "metabolic syndrome" until I came to this country, just like I never heard of "Office Ladies" or "Salarimen" and other such quaint expressions in Japlish. Like so many things in Japan, such as obsession with Blood groups, etc, this is plain wierd. We dont need anyone to set a guage for obesity, when it is before your eyes, you know. Look no further than Sumo wrestlers.
usaexpat at 06:46 AM JST - 19th November

Obescity qulaification based on waste size is dumber than BMI. You have to take build into account in any equation.
IvanCoughalot at 07:05 AM JST - 19th November

I've conducted some informal research, and my findings seem to show a correlation between metabolic syndrome and spending a lot of time eating cakes and burgers and sitting on your backside all day moaning about how hard you work.

Watch out for my full findings in next month's Lancet.
Valmain at 08:54 AM JST - 19th November

taj -

Ah, the classic oversimplification that the skinnier you are, the healthier you are. Sorry, Vailman. The logic train doesn't run backwards. If you don't know what Metabolic Syndrome is, do yourself a favour and GOOGLE it. In fact, do us all a favour and google it before posting. (And that's not specifically directed to you, Vailman.)

I think you missed the entire point of my comment. Judging by the way you misspelled my nick, it might just be poor reading on your part.

I said nothing about metabolic syndrome. My point was that just because you are skinny doesn't mean that you are healthy. Did you understand the David Letterman reference? If you look at him he's a normal skinny guy, but yet he had a quintuple bypass some years ago. My point is that waistlines are not a tell-all indicator of one's health.

Does this "GOOGLE" you speak of also provide reading comprehension? I hope so for your sake.
Good_Jorb at 12:19 AM JST - 20th November

never heard of "metabolic syndrome" until I came to this country, just like I never heard of "Office Ladies" or "Salarimen" and other such quaint expressions in Japlish.

So because you had never heard of it before you came Japan, means that obviously it never existed outside of Japan (just a bit egocentric). I suppose as well the Researchers at the Mayo clinic must speak Japlish(?).

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolic%20syndrome/DS00522
sf2k at 03:47 AM JST - 20th November

if you're pushing maximum density, do you really need a test? Just lose a few kilos. While I did see fat people in Japan, it was rare and if I did they didn't look crazy unhealthy. (gurgling folding fat legs the size of people fat...like Chicago airport!)

If the line in the sand is a bit blury fine, but if you can't even walk to the beach take that as a clue
Hotbox08 at 10:44 PM JST - 20th November

So because you had never heard of it before you came Japan, means that obviously it never existed outside of Japan (just a bit egocentric). I suppose as well the Researchers at the Mayo clinic must speak Japlish(?).

Good point, Good Jorb. It's funny how people who have never heard of "Metabolic Syndrome" automatically assume that it is a purely Japanese (or Japlish) expression, when in fact it has been around in medical circles for a long time (as stated in the link from the Mayo Clinic that you have provided). In fact, after having googled the term, I found that several agencies such as WHO, International Diabetes Federation, and American Heart Association, have been using this term long before it was ever mentioned in Japan.
dolphingirl at 12:14 AM JST - 21st November

The problem is, the term 'metabo' in Japan is basically used to mean overweight when in fact, metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders.
Patrick Smash at 09:48 PM JST - 22nd November

I'm over 6 feet ten, how on earth am I supposed to get a waste size of below 85cms? My chubby little boss, about 157 cms, is fine. This is one of the stupidest things Japan has ever come up with, and Japan has come up with some quite idiotic stuff.
Patrick Smash at 09:52 PM JST - 22nd November

I'm off one one. One of my female co-workers is rather short and fat, but does not quite get to 90cms, but all the forigners in the office, all of whom are over 6 feet tall, are all metabo because of waste size over 85cms.

It is utterly ridiculous and whoever came up with it deserves a right good shoeing from the 50% of Japanese over 40 that they have decided have a metabolic disease that they do not have.
Hotbox08 at 12:36 AM JST - 23rd November

This is one of the stupidest things Japan has ever come up with, and Japan has come up with some quite idiotic stuff.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolic%20syndrome/DS00522

I didn't know the mayo clinic was Japanese.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_whatis.html