(NYT27) MATSUYAMA, Japan -- June 12, 2008 -- JAPAN-OBESITY-LAW-2 -- A man has his waistline measured by a nurse at a public health clinic in Matsuyama, June 4, 2008. In order to stop a trend of growing waistlines in Japan, a national law which came into effect two months ago mandates that companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese between the ages of 40 years old and 74 years old as part of their annual checkups. (Ko Sasaki/The New York Times)