TOWARDS THE FUTURE
In recent years, there have been dramatic changes in children’s
lifestyle and the environment surrounding them.
Diet-related problems including skipping breakfast, obesity,
and anorexia have been increasing among school
children. The Japanese school lunch program is essential
tools to solve these problems and to foster healthy minds
and bodies among school children. It emphasizes importance
of diet, its role to maintain mental and physical
health, selection of safe food with high quality, acquisition
of spirit to appreciate foods and social manners. Diet
and Nutrition Teachers who have specialized experiences
and knowledge are responsible with the future of school
lunch programs in Japan. It is therefore necessary to increase
the number of schools with Diet and Nutrition
Teachers so as to implement effective school lunch programs.