To investigate the effects of chewing food 30 times per bite on meal composition, body metrics, grip strength, satiety, and other factors, a group who ate each meal by chewing their food 30 times per bite before swallowing (the chewing group) and a group who ate as normal (the control group) were compared over the course of six months.

A meal survey and measurements of body metrics and bone density were conducted at the start of the experiment, after three months, and after six months. Grip strength was measured at the start of the experiment and after six months. At the beginning of the study, both groups ate the same boxed meal (Hotto Motto brand, energy: 748 kcal), and the number of times food was chewed and duration of eating were measured. Level of hunger prior to the meal and satiety after the meal were also measured using visual analog scales (VAS). After six months, both groups were served the same boxed meal again and the same measurements were taken. Additionally, masticatory force was measured using XYLITOL™ “Chew Strength Checking Gum” (a color-changing chewing gum used for assessing masticatory performance) (LOTTE Co., Ltd.) at the beginning of the study and after six months. All measurement results were compared between the chewing group and controls.

When the boxed meal was served at the end of six months, the chewing group showed a significant increase in the number of times food was chewed compared to the beginning of the experiment (p<0.05). The chewing group also exhibited increases in masticatory force (p<0.05), and in skeletal muscle mass and grip strength (p<0.001).Furthermore, the increased number of times food was chewed resulted in increased diet-induced thermogenesis, and decreases in body weight (p<0.05) and body fat percentage (p<0.001). The chewing group also showed improved grip strength, which is said to reflect overall muscle strength. Based on these results, chewing each bite 30 times was shown to have a positive impact on physical health. Encouraging more chewing in nutritional guidance may therefore contribute to lifelong maintenance and improvement of health.

This study aimed to determine whether participation in meal preparation or increased the opportunities to participate in meal preparation during the pandemic were related to dietary balance, including chronological relationships. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2021 among individuals registered with a company that provides meals to children aged 2−6 years. The survey gathered data on children’s eating behavior and lifestyle, and the current situation and changes following the COVID-19 outbreak. The 1878 participants were categorized into two groups: those with and without opportunities to be involved in meal preparation for the post-COVID-19 current analysis (n＝1056 and 822, respectively) and those with an increase (n＝478) and those with no change (n＝1400) for the analysis of change compared to the pre-COVID-19 analysis. Multiple regression analyses were performed with the healthy diet score (HDS) as the dependent variable. Even after adjustments for lifestyle habits and household circumstances, opportunities to be involved in meal preparation were positively correlated with the secondary indicators included in HDS. Furthermore, the changed HDS was higher in the group whose opportunities to be involved in meal preparation increased during the pandemic. Therefore, adopting opportunities to be involved in meal preparation may lead to a more balanced diet.

The aim of this study was to identify learning outcomes of nutrition education provided to upper grade elementary school children via audiovisual materials.

A survey was conducted with 971 children selected from all public elementary schools in K City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The learning material used was a video created by the Board of Education about the agricultural products of K City.

The learning outcomes of the video lesson were evaluated by examining changes in children’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with a questionnaire provided before and immediately after the class, and 2 months later.

Immediately after watching the video, the children’s knowledge and attitude, (the assessed indicators of learning) changed in the direction of the learning goals.

However, the knowledge and attitude changes observed immediately after the class returned to their original state 2 months later, indicating that the learning was not retained.

We thus observed a temporary enhancement of knowledge and attitudes as an outcome of delivering this nutrition education video material.

This study used the results of a food education survey conducted in 2020 targeting elementary, junior high, and high school students in Fukutsu City. This study aimed to clarify the important points regarding food education at every life stage. We also examined whether there are differences in dietary and lifestyle habits and consciousness of food education due to differences in whether one can cook alone.

Items such as breakfast intake and co-eating frequency, bedtimes, meal greetings, chewing well, and understanding of food education tended to worsen with grade progression. On the other hand, 67.7%, 70.0%, and 68.7% of elementary, junior high, and high school students, respectively, could cook by themselves, and there was no difference between target groups. Recognition of being able to cook alone was unrelated to breakfast intake frequency or living hours, but the recognition had a positive effect on eating enjoyment, positive eating behavior, and increased consciousness of food education.

Our findings demonstrated that elementary school students needed to build a lifelong foundation of dietary habits, junior high school students needed to be thoroughly educated about breakfast intake and living hours, and high school students needed a system to strengthen food education.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element in the body, and its deficiency causes adverse effects on taste, wound healing, and immunity. Insufficient Zn intake is an issue in our country, which can lead to health problems. Breakfast has been reported to play an important role in nutrient intake and health. To determine the association between breakfast intake and Zn intake, 395 local government employees (193 men and 202 women) were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire on their lifestyle, health status, and dietary history. The participants were categorized according to their frequency of breakfast intake into two groups : those who regularly skipped breakfast and those who did not. Zn intake was evaluated using the density with energy adjustment (mg/1,000 kcal). Zn intake was higher in females than in males (4.4±0.7 mg/1,000 kcal in males vs. 4.7±0.7 mg/1,000 kcal in females, p<0.0001). In males, Zn intake was significantly lower in the group that skipped breakfast than in the group that didn’t skip breakfast (p＝0.024), but not in females, even after adjusting for age, marital status, work status, physical activity, and smoking habits. In conclusion, our results suggest that skipping breakfast might associate with Zn intake for male workers.