We investigated a better method for dietary guidance on daily food choice in order to improve calcium intake. A new method was applied using color photographs of dishes that would reflect menu choice. This study examines the relationship between the calcaneal stiffness and nutrient intake from 3-day dietary diaries. The nutrient content of dishes selected from the menu, and the duration of exercise.
The mean daily intake of calcium was less that RDA, with milk providing the main source. Calcaneal stiffness and its annual change showed no correlation with any nutrient intake from 3 days of meals, but both showed significant correlation with the nutrient content of the chosen dishes and the exercise duration. The group showing the highest calcaneal stiffness selected more side dishes and ingested more calcium from chosen dishes. Those students who had a greater choice of dishes had higher calcaneal stiffness.
These results indicate that the combination of a wide range of dishes to choose from and longer exercise provides a key to dietary improvement for preventing osteoporosis.

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We analyzed the medical cost for a year of patients with hyperlipidemia according to the Mark method for analyzing cost-effectiveness. The patients were divided into groups undergoing nutritional therapy alone (N group: 38), nutritional therapy combined with drugs (N-D group: 17), and drug therapy (D group: 20). The medical cost included all drug charges, prescription charges and/or nutritional therapy. The total cost for one year was \42, 122 (337) (at 1=\125) for each patient in the N group, which was \90, 000-100, 000 less expensive than the costs for the N-D group and D group, being related to the types of drugs and the complications.
These patients with hypercholesterolemia (high-TC) showed no difference in TC reduction among the groups. These patients with a TC level of more than 260mg/dl showed a greater TC reduction in the N group than in the D group (-14.8±10.9% vs-4.7±9.7%, p<0.05). The total cost/patient in the N group was \61, 748 (494), this being \140, 000-160, 000 less expensive than the N-D group and the D group patients. The proportion of patients who could be effectively treat for \10, 000 (80) was 16.2% in the N group.
These patients with a TC level of less than 260mg/dl showed a greater TC reduction in the N than in the D group. The annual cost for patients less than 65 years old was less than for these more than 65 years old. These patients with a triglyceride (TG) level of more than 150mg/dl (high-TG) showed no difference in TG reduction among the groups. However, the ratio of patients with a TG level 10% less than that at the start of study was more than in the other groups. Therefore, the annual total cost/patient for the N group was \54, 367 (435), compared with \80, 000 (640) and \180, 000 ($1, 440) for the N-D group and the D group.
Nutritional therapy for the patients with a TC level of more than 260mg/dl, for younger patients less than 65 years old and for the patients with high TG was more cost-effective than the treatments for the N-D group and the D group. Therefore, nutritional therapy should be considered as the primary treatment in terms of reducing medical cost.

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We reviewed the measurement process for evaluating the physical properties of liquid foods, and propose a simple measurement process which more accurately reflects the swallowing characteristics of those foods.
The swallowing characteristics were compared of guar gum samples and modified starch samples, which had been adjusted to equal hardness as measured under the fixed condition, the modified starch samples being found easier to swallow than the guar gum sample. The compression speed dependence on apparent hardness was found for the textural properties of liquid foods, the index of compression speed dependence of the modified starch samples being less than that of the guar gum samples. Similarly, the index of rotation dependence on apparent viscosity was found for the flow behavior of liquid foods, the index of rotation dependence of the modified starch samples again being less than that of the guar gum samples.
It was suggested that, when measuring the physical properties (hardness and viscosity), one additional point should be measured, instead of relying solely on measurement under the fixed condition, to more accurately evaluate the physical properties and swallowing characteristics of liquid foods.

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We investigated the education of preschool children on basic food and nutrition to prevent life-style-related disease. The amount of education on food and nutrition was lower in preschooling by the ministry of education than in preschooling by the ministry of health and welfare. There was no dietitian in 77.1% of the preschools, and only 25% of dietitians provided education on food and nutrition to preschool children.
The need to educate preschool children on food and nutrition is thus suggested to fall on their mothers.
The importance ascribed to education on food and nutrition seems to substantially vary among preschools. These results indicate the importance of education on food and nutrition for preschool children and the need for dietitians to educate the mothers of preschool children.

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