Mid-term evaluation of "Health Japan 21": focus area for the nutrition and diet.

This paper provides a review of the mid-term evaluation of "Health Japan 21" and dis-cusses the status of progress towards the goals of items within the "Nutrition and diet" area. Among 14 items investigated, an improving trend was observed in eight items, though there was no improvement in five items. Whilst the percentage of obese individuals significantly increased during the 25 years from 1976 to 1999, secular trend showed that it has become unchanged since 2000, when "Health Japan 21" was enacted, regardless of gender and age. Another favorable finding was a decreasing trend of salt intake especially in the age group of 50-59 years. Besides, the analyses of the proportion of the persons "who have interest in dietary improvement" among the ones "who believe there are problems in their diet" showed that an increased awareness of inappropriate diet and also in the motivation to improve it, especially among males aged 50-59 years. On the other hand, some items showed worsening trend; e.g. decrease in vegetable intake, decrease of persons who are aware of their own optimal weight and practice weight control. Thus, the progress within Health Japan 21 was assessed as not necessarily satisfactory. In order to ensure the progress of "Health Japan 21" towards 2010, it is now crucial to effectively incorporate "Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top" and a new strategy of non-communicable diseases prevention focusing on the control of metabolic syndrome, which will be launched in April 2008, into the national health promotion program.