Shaping up

Wacoal, long known as the top lingerie maker in Japan, has recently introduced underwear designed to slightly tighten the wearer's body to give a more fit appearance. Japanese women have long been fans of such clothing, and even embraced padded pants -- much like they have padded bras -- to give themselves more curves.

Wacoal's new line, however, is aimed at the middle-aged, cubicle dwelling man. According to the Nikkei Weekly even younger cubicle rats are joining the trend. One man in his fifties was quoted as saying, "As I grew fatter, I became more aware of my body shape." So, he did what any man would do -- he purchased form-flattering underwear.

The market has grown for such products with the awareness of "metabolic syndrome", an accumulation of fat around vital body organs (which an American friend refers to more directly as "getting fat"), which has lead to an increase in attention to body shape. This of course leads to problems such as diabetes and other lifestyle related illnesses. The natural response, therefore, is to cover the problem. According to the Nikkei, "form-fitting underwear is likely to be [a] potential growth segment, as the popularity of such underwear is driven not just by a rising interest in health, but also by a strong demand for slender suits."

It seems reasonable, after all, that gym membership takes much more time to work.