Energy Recommendation in Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese 2020: An Overview and Future Tasks

Abstract

This review summarizes the energy recommendation adopted in the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese 2020 (DRIs 2020). DRIs 2020 is designed to prevent the progression of frailty and malnutrition among older individuals as well as the onset and progression of chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. In DRIs 2020, BMI (target BMI range) was adopted as the reference for maintaining an equilibrium between appropriate energy intake and expenditure. The target BMI range was defined for four adult age categories. Basically, the ranges were determined based on BMI values with the lowest all-cause mortality reported in observational epidemiological studies. However, for individuals aged 65 years and over, a tentative BMI range was determined by considering the actual BMI distribution for this age population and the obesity-related increased risk of disability.