After 10 years, the Japanese have improved their height from being on par with Vietnam to the top of Asia.
The average height of Vietnamese youth is only 164.4cm for men, 153.4cm for women, 13.1cm and 10.7cm lower than the international standards, lower than many other countries in the region such as Japan, Korea. Meanwhile, 10 years ago, the height of Japan was not much different from that of Vietnam, now, their physical condition has risen to the top of Asia.
These are the information given by Professor Nakamura Teiji – President of the National Nutrition Association of Japan at the International Conference on “Vietnamese Nutrition” by TH Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training, the Vietnam Women’s Union has just held in Hanoi.
As a participant in designing educational programs on nutritional science to improve the stature and fitness of the Japanese, he said that the key to improving nutrition is the school meal program.
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Professor Nakamura Teiji – President of the National Dietetic Association of Japan shared experiences in improving nutrition of Japanese people.
“Ancient Japanese meals were inadequate, there were deficiencies and poverty, leading to malnutrition, stunting, weak physical strength and very low life expectancy,” he said.
In 1945, after the second world war, due to food shortages, the Japanese had a huge problem with malnutrition and famine. Under these circumstances, when receiving skim milk and flour from the US, this country organized a school milk program for children.
In such difficult circumstances, the priority target is children – preschool in the future of the country. Adults give these to children, and school meals improve with each year.
Initially, school meals were only skim milk because the Japanese did not have the conditions to produce milk, but now milk is completely used, which is both more nutritious and delicious. than.
The implementation of school meals has been incorporated into Japanese law, demonstrating the nation’s encouragement to hosting school meals. The 1954 Japanese school meal law is applied in the education sector, with the nutritional intake and food safety management standards of school meals.
The results of this project bring about a marked change in the child’s stature, height and weight. After 50 years, the Japanese achieved remarkable success. In 1954, they were the same height as the Vietnamese, now they have the top height in Asia.
According to statistics 4-5 years ago, Japanese people also reduced diseases caused by living. Professor Nakamura Teiji said that school meals are one of the solutions to reduce the double burden of nutrition, to prevent malnutrition and obesity in children.
In 2005, Japan continued to promulgate the Basic Law on Nutrition Education, referring to the responsibility of enterprises in enhancing people’s understanding of the importance of diet. These businesses also focus on cooperating with ministries and agencies to apply nutritional measurement methods.