Why is Japan's child nutrition the best in the world? Western Media: The secret lies in school lunch.

Original title: Why is Japan's child nutrition the best in the world? Western media: The secret lies in school lunch
western media said that Japan has accomplished a feat that seems impossible to accomplish. Can a developed country achieve excellent child nutrition and health indicators, including a low rate of obesity? Yes, Japan did. The secret lies in school lunch.
A UNICEF report released on October 22nd put Japan at the forefront of children's health, with low child mortality and a low number of children of substandard weight, the Spanish newspaper Abersa reported on October 22.
, Japan has the lowest rate of childhood obesity among the 41 developed countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development plus EU member states.
experts say several factors play an important role, including the Japanese's special emphasis on health, regular check-ups for children, and the role of school lunches.
Japanese children's school lunch recipes are made by nutritionists and are available in all primary schools and most universities in Japan, Dr. Harako Hara, a pediatrician and professor at Tokyo Institute of Home Economics, told reporters.
reported that Japanese students must eat in the school cafeteria, the only option, the school banned students from bringing home food to school. Although school lunches are not free, they are funded.
menu is nuanced, with about 600-700 calories and a balanced distribution of carbohydrates, meat and vegetables. Here's an example menu: rice with grilled fish and a plate of spinach and bean sprouts, with pork-flavored soup, and milk and leeks.
The purpose of school lunches is to provide the dietary nutrients that children lack at home, thus contributing to the nutritional balance that children need, " Ueda, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology, told reporters.
the lunches not only feed children, but also enable them to learn from them, as each menu comes with relevant nutritional information, according to the report.
addition, Japanese law requires school lunches to be an integral part of education. "It's not just about nutrition, it's about children learning to distribute food and clean up the tables." Mr. Ueda said.
school lunch program began in 1889 and was expanded after World War II to address child malnutrition in severe food shortages, the New York Times reported.
, there are other positive factors, such as the Japanese are so concerned about their health that they try a varied diet, says Mr. Harahara.
the results are clear: Japan has one of the lowest infant mortality rates, with 14.42 per cent of people aged 5 to 19 overweight or obese, far lower than most other countries, particularly developed countries,
report said. According to UNICEF, the United States ranks highest in obesity (41.86%), followed by Italy (36.87%) and France (30.09%).
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