While airline companies in the U.S. contemplate weighing their passengers and adjusting their fares accordingly in an effort to save on fuel costs, much to the chagrin of our easily-offended (and fat) populace, the Japanese are doing us one better in the battle against the bulge.   In a country that is leagues skinnier than ours, Japan has decided to institute a new law that will require companies to monitor their employees’ weights and take steps to encourage overweight employees to shed what the government deems excess flub.  In an attempt to shift healthcare costs onto the private sector – in a super creepy, nanny state kinda way – the Japanese government has placed as an upper limit on waist sizes 33.5 inches (by this measure, I border the line of obesity at 33 inches!).  Those exceeding that limit are to be encouraged by their employers to slim down; otherwise, the employer could end up facing fines for having fat employees.  I don’t know what is more mind-boggling about this new initiative – the fact that it was actually hatched or the fact that the country appears to be so willing to embrace it.  Just amazing.