TOKYO, JAPAN - PRODDED by his company, Mr Keiji Okuda walks 40 minutes from Tokyo train station to his office every day, works out three times a week at the gym and eats buckwheat noodles instead of meat for lunch.

Over the last few years, the 45-year-old employee of Matsushita Electric has lost 19kg.

'It's fun to walk,' he said. 'I feel lighter on my feet...and more nimble mentally.'

Many companies now offer workers aerobics sessions, cafeterias with low-calorie food and free pedometers to fight 'meta-boh' - short for metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors which, if left unchecked, can increase the risk of illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension.

The key yardstick for detecting metabolic syndrome is the waistline: 85cm for men and 90cm for women.

The government initiative, which kicked in on April 1, requires workers aged 40 to 74 to undergo new health check-ups - part of the nation's larger efforts to guard against ballooning medical costs, estimated at 30 trillion yen (S$390 billion) a year.

From 2013, companies which do not shape up will have to increase their financial contributions to government-run health- care insurance schemes.

Obesity in Japan affects just under 5 per cent of the population. But with changing eating habits such as the acceptance of fast food and Western-style cooking, which tend to include more meat, fat and sugar, the figure looks set to rise.

Among Japanese aged 40 or older, as many as half the men and one in five women have metabolic syndrome, the government says.

Some companies are measuring the waists of all their employees, regardless of age.

Experts say that the country's workaholic corporate culture is partly to blame for health problems.

Many white-collar workers lead sedentary lives, working long hours, eating meals at their desks from stalls that serve meat over rice and other starchy dishes that typically are gulped down - a sure way to add on pounds.

At Panasonic's Tokyo office, the cafeteria offers a special lunch recommended for guarding against 'metaboh', consisting of tofu, noodles, sliced cucumber with seaweed and orange slices.

The electronics giant began its health awareness programme in 2001, but is revving up efforts because of the new government regulations.

Mr Seitaro Dohi, who heads the health management department at Tokyo-based Mitsui Chemicals, said the company organises yoga classes and offers low-calorie food at its cafeteria to urge workers to stay fit.

One programme enables workers to take digital photos of their meals with their mobile phones to receive instantaneous calorie counts from nutrition experts, he said.

'With all the attention on 'metaboh' lately, our job has become easier, and workers' awareness of health is rising,' he said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS