The Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was developed by the government as a new education tool for promoting healthy eating in 2005. The concept was unique in the world, not only due to its shape of a reverse triangle, but also due to “dish-based approach”, not “food-based” one, which was adopted to advance acceptability and usability especially in a fraction of less health-conscious people like middle-aged men. Serving sizes and reference ranges of servings were determined for grain dishes, vegetable dishes, fish and meat dishes, milk and fruits. In addition to those five major dish/food groups shown on the spinning top, snacks or beverages expressed as a string to rotate it, should be moderated to avoid the excess energy intake. One of the most important points of the Food Guide is to be widely disseminated through the food systems involving farm producers, food manufacturers and distributors including supermarkets, convenience stores, and catering establishments. In that context, the Food Guide has been expected to promote the linkage between “access to information” and “access to food” for the betterment of “food environment” in the population strategies for preventing lifestyle-related diseases.
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