Dr. Merrill Matthews of the Institute for Policy Innovation, Lewisville, Texas, says waistlines will be on the mind of many Japanese citizens. When the government pays for health care, it has an interest in making sure its citizens are healthy whether they like it or not. That’s why, Matthews says, the Japanese government recently passed legislation requiring everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, some 56 million people, to have their waistlines measured regularly. The maximum waistline for men is 33.5 in. For women it’s 35.4 in. Those with larger waistlines will have three months to shape up, or undergo what’s being called “reeducation.” Those who persist in ignoring the will of the government will face fines and other penalties. There’s an old saying that “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” The Japanese will soon learn that a waist is a terrible thing to mind.