On Japanese Nutritional Status during the World War II

-From "the Report on the National Nutrition, 1948"-

Abstract

The authors has introduced a newly found investigation record on the Japanese nutritional status during the war. It was published as a secret document in December, 1948, carried out by the Institute of the Ministry of Health and Walfare. It has never been cited in any historical writings on nutrition after the war. Department of Health Science investigated the physical status and diseases . On the other hand, Department of National Nutrition collected nutritional data with the food consumption survey. The survey staffs were Dr. Koya, Dr. Yamakawa, Dr. Tachikawa, Dr. Kubo, Dr. Nobechi, Dr. Sugimoto and so on. They have been famous as the members of Japanese societies of public health and allied sciences. The report includes as followings: (1) On school children; physical constitution, nutritional status, carrying luncheon and its food items, and the uses of eutrophics. (2) On pregnant women and neonatal children; body weight, morbidity rate, the items, frequency and quantity of the staple food, and the purchase of the food stuffs. (3) On salaries men in urban areas; body weight, morbidity conditions of tuberculosis and beriberi etc., quantity and quality of staple foods, food stuffs of subsidiary foods, items of snacks and the uses of eutrophics. (4) On the workers of several important factories; body weight, intake of protein and energy. As well as this survey was performed nation-widely, it was summed up and appreciated statistically as to yearly trend, region, sex, occupation and so on. This report can be evaluated not only as a basic historical record to prove the condiiton under the war, but also as a precious material to study the later nutritional effects for the people who had spent the under-nutritional period during the after the war time.