Consequences of obesity

I recently came across two articles about obesity describing the penalties facing those who don't trim down.
Packed on a few too many pounds recently? Be thankful you don’t live in Japan, where it’s downright criminal to be pudgy.
New government regulations mandate that anyone over 40 whose waist size is above a certain circumference must attend counseling. Meanwhile, employers face financial penalties if they can't reduce the number of overweight employees at their company.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/11/18/2009-11-18_living_large_in_japan_can_be_considered_against_the_law_and_result_in_mandatory_.html#ixzz0XKbHbkid

Most college students expect to receive their diplomas on the basis of grades, but at a Pennsylvania school, physical fitness matters too.
Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/30/lincoln.fitness.overweight/index.html

I've heard of more and more people who are undergoing gastric bypass operations and the like in an effort to lose weight. Before one gets to that point, we should remember the words of the Rambam in Hilchot Deot (4:15).

"Overeating is like poison to anyone’s body. It is the main source of all illness. Most illnesses which afflict a person are caused by harmful foods or by filling his belly and overeating, even of healthful foods. This was implied by Shlomo in his wisdom: "Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from distress" (Mishlei 21:23).”