Japan's prime minister Keizo Takemi - Photo : AFP

TOKYO, March 17, 2008 (AFP) - Share prices are tumbling and the yen is rising, but Japanese businessman on Monday got one thing to cheer - underwear to tame their bulging waistlines.

Wacoal announced Monday it was making a full entry into the men's market with undergarments especially for men with a bit of flab.

The company said a survey of Japanese businessmen in their 30s and 40s found that 95 percent considered their waistlines the biggest concern about their physique.

But only 47 percent of the survey's 100 respondents said they made conscious efforts to do something aboutn it.

Wacoal's new Cross Walker is designed to help wearers improve their posture and develop stomach muscles as they walk, the company said.

It is "a totally new concept of getting fit just by wearing undergarments that turn simple walking into exercise," said Wacoal president Yoshikata Tsukamoto.

Obesity is on the increase in Japan despite the nation's traditionally healthy diet and lifestyle.