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）
Computex, Asia’s biggest electronics conference, kicked off Monday in Taipei, and as in years past drew industry chieftains from Nvidia Corp.’s Jensen Huang and Qualcomm Inc.’s Cristiano Amon to Young Liu of Foxconn, which makes the bulk of the world’s iPhones and Nvidia servers. But while last year’s event was a celebration of the post-ChatGPT AI boom, executives this time are likely grappling with the uncertainty of the Trump administration’s effort to reshape the global trade order — disrupting a decades-old model for tech manufacturing. This year’s exhibition will of course feature the hardware required to bring artificial intelligence to life.
A: Where will the 35 sports of the 2025 World Masters Games be held? B: Apart from Taipei and New Taipei City, some games will take place in Yilan County, Taoyuan County, and Hsinchu County and City. A: The news says about 25,000 people, including many celebrities and sports stars, have already registered for the games. B: Even Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who is 47, registered for softball and squash. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi, who is 68, also registered for table tennis. A: And it will be the largest sports event ever in Taiwan’s history. How exciting. A:
Dog owners often wish they could understand their pets’ thoughts. “Dog buttons” might turn their dream into a reality. These specially designed buttons, __1__ sound chips, enable dogs to communicate their needs by pressing buttons corresponding to pre-recorded words like “walk,” “play,” “outside,” and “food.” This bridges the communication __2__ between humans and their canine companions. The science behind dog buttons is based on the concept of associative learning. It’s a process __3__ learners can link actions with outcomes. For instance, if an owner consistently presses the “walk” button and then takes their dog for a walk, the dog
1. 眾所皆知，資訊產業是我國經濟的基礎。 ˇ As everyone admits, the IT industry is the backbone of our economy. χ As everyone admits that the IT industry is the backbone of our economy. 註：這裏 as 作關係代名詞，引導從屬子句。誤句多了 that， IT industry is. . . 就變成從屬句，欠缺了主句，結構上錯誤。又如： As my friend pointed out, necessity is the mother of invention. As is known to all, grammar is not the only important thing in language study. 2. 她心情總是非常好。 ˇ She is always in a good mood. χ She always is in a good mood. 註：always, often 一般放在行為動詞之前，連繫動詞、助動詞之後： He always behaves well. He is always happy and gay. He is always reading. 其他用法類似的副詞，還有 still、also、hardly、seldom、never 等。 3. 你看！他還在寫報告呢。 ˇ Look! He is still working
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