Abstract
Diseases due to obesity and lifestyle, including diabetes mellitus type 2, liver function abnormalities caused by fatty liver and hypercholesteronemia, are increasing in Japanese children. In addition, under-weight children are also increased. These are considered to be caused by unhealthy dietary habits, such as skip of breakfast, picky eating, overeating and excessive diet. These habits are formed in childhood and are continuing to adulthood. In order to prevent these lifestyle-related diseases, dietary education is necessary since childhood. The basic law on Nutritional Education in 2005 defines “dietary education” as “helping people acquire the knowledge on the food and the capacity to select appropriate foods so that they are implementing healthy dietary habits”.
At the medical check-up of children, obesity and underweight children should be checked up, and then dietary education should be approved to these children, In addition, physicians and school teachers are requested to provide children' parents and guardians with medical knowledge concerning “health/disease and nutrition”.
