Prevalence, Causes, Consequences, Preventative Measures of Obesity and State of Weight Problems in Japan

肥胖的流行在与健康相关的生活质量、卫生保健、劳动力市场、医疗支出和其他领域提出了问题。通过各种统计数据、政府报告以及医学、社会学、心理学和经济学文献，了解肥胖问题的严重性，分析肥胖对人们的身心健康、医药和医疗支出、工作和就业的影响。目前，日本的肥胖率明显低于其他发达国家。然而，认识到肥胖是一个全球性的社会经济不可避免的问题，而不是个人的问题，我们认为有必要制定公共政策，使我们能够在未来维持健康的生活和社会。

The prevalence of obesity raises problems in health-related quality of life, health care, labor market, medical spending and other areas. Grasping the seriousness of obesity through various statistical data, governmental reports, and literatures in medical sciences, sociology, psychology and economics in particular, we examined and analyzed the influences that obesity has brought on our physical and mental health, medicine and medical spending, and work and employment. Obesity rate in Japan at present is significantly lower than those of other developed countries. However, realizing obesity as a world-wide socio-economic inevitability more than a personal problem, we argue for the necessity of making public policies so that we are able to sustain healthy life and society in the future.