Abstract
In recent years, importance of multi-disciplinary cooperation advocated by the government has been increasing not only for improving the quality and safety of medical care but also for smooth implementation of sophisticated, complicated work. Items related to nutrition have been formulated in policies related to health promotion such as Health Japan 21 (the second term), and nutritionists and registered dietitians must actively make approaches. Of course, in addition to treatment-related nutrition management, nutritional management in maintaining and promoting health is also considered important in disease prevention.
In 2006, Tokai University Tokyo Hospital launched an anti-aging health check-up system in addition to general health check-ups, which detects aging related signs using various tests, then gives medical guidance to combat abnormalities associated with aging.
In anti-aging health check-ups, registered dietitians actively provide nutritional support for the recipients. After undergoing a check-up, an Anti-Aging Meal that uses many ingredients with antioxidative effects planned by registered dietitians is provided for lunch. Guidance is also given regarding the relationship between the condition of the recipient’s health and nutrition, based on his/her answers to a medical questionnaire survey and test results. As nutritional advice, advice based on a hearing survey using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQg) and answers to questions regarding meals and supplements from the recipient are provided. In such a way, creative approaches are being made so that we can make more progress in anti-aging, by enhancing awareness through taste and sight, rather than by simply undergoing tests.
To extend healthy life expectancy and realize “successful anti-aging,” it is indispensable to effectively use meals that are a central aspect of one’s life. Nutritional support is possible from a variety of angles through specialist teams and industry-academia-government cooperation. In the future, effective methods for each health check-up recipient will be examined from various angles regarding policies for nutritional support, and future ideals for registered dietitians.
