Concerned about the rising rates of obesity and increasing health care costs in Japan, the government passed a law that requires local governments and companies to measure the waistlines of Japanese residents between the ages of 40 and 74 (56 million waistlines, 44% of the population of Japan). Those exceeding the government limits (Established by the Japanese International Diabetes Foundation), 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, will be given diet and exercise advice. If, after three months of intervention residents fail to lose weight, they will be steered toward further re-education programs. Local governments and companies who fail to meet specific targets will be subject to financial penalties. The Japanese call their program Metabo which does not carry the negative image of obesity (Onishi, N., “NY Times,” 6.13.2008).