Planning to work abroad? Shed flab first

When Saagar, a Hyderabad based engineer, read the story of a South African chef who had to leave New Zealand recently as he was "too fat", started having anxious moments about his own expanding girth. He has decided to lose a few kilos before he explores work opportunities overseas.
The case of chef Albert Buitenhuis, who weighed 130kg, first hit the headlines in 2013 when his permanent residency application was rejected by New Zealand.After losing a three-year battle with immigration authorities, the chef and his wife returned to South Africa in 2015 to avoid deportation. Auckland cited the demands his obesity could place on health services.
Similar concerns have prompted many other countries to take a more serious look at pre-migration medical tests. Medical checkups before granting visas have been the norm but the focus used to be on contagious diseases. This has now changed since a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and its associated medical risks can put a strain on a country's medical resources.
TOI analyzed the regulations of a few key countries which are focusing on obesity related illnesses. It showed that while obesity alone may not be a ground for refusal of a work visa, the risks of refusal are far higher if one is overweight. Indians aspiring to work in Australia have to undergo checkups by an empaneled medical practitioners here. The results are sent to Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection. This body decides on whether an applicant has met the desired medical parameters.
"Obese potential workers could be denied a skilled or sponsorship visa if they have a medical condition associated with their obesity that could incur significant medical costs," says Ryan Curtis-Griffiths, immigration specialist at Nevett Ford Lawyers, based in Melbourne.
Visa applicants to New Zealand are required to have an acceptable standard of health (ASH) and undergo medical checkups to ensure this. The format of a 'general medical certificate' released by New Zealand's government last October requires the empaneled medical practitioner to record the visa applicant's height, weight and BMI in addition to other medical details.
While a bulging waistline may not deny you a work visa in Japan, get ready to burn calories once you are in Japan. The country has a prescribed waist measure -33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women -and employers have to ensure that workers go for an annual check, especially the "Metabolic Syndrome Test."
Those between 40-75 years who fail the prescribed waist measurements have to take classes on how to lose flab.
(Some names have been changed to protect privacy)