The Current Situation Regarding the Use of Dietary Oil Products as a Food for Specified Health Use （FOSHU） among Female University Students Studying Health Sciences

Abstract

We conducted a questionnaire survey among female university students studying health sciences regarding the utilization of dietary oil products approved as a Food for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) . Forty-seven percent of the responders (n＝1,223) had experience using such FOSHU oils, and 69% of them used the FOSHU because their families also used them. Individuals with a body mass index of 23 or greater are considered to be target persons for the use of FOSHU, and 49% of the users correctly understood the criteria for using them. However, only 13% of the users were actually target individuals, and less than 1% of them considered FOSHU to be efficacious. One of the main reasons for this low perception of FOSHU efficacy may be that many of the users are not target persons and that it is difficult to consistently consume the recommended amount of FOSHU in order to become aware of its efficacy, as dietary oils are typically used for cooking.