1. Promotion of Measures against Lifestyle-Related Diseases through “Health
Japan 21”
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been promoting the “National Health
Promotion Movement in the 21st Century (Health Japan 21)” as the third health promotion measure
for citizens since 2000. “Health Japan 21” aims to reduce the number of deaths of people in the
prime of their life, prolong healthy years of life, and improve people’s quality of life (QOL) in order
to become a vigorous society in which all citizens can live in good health both physically and
mentally. To this end the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set goals within the 9 areas givenbelow.
The Health Promotion Law was enforced in May 2003 to establish legal foundations for
facilitating greater health promotion efforts by citizens made in accordance with “Health Japan 21”.
The Subcommittee on Community Health and Nutrition and Health Promotion of the Health
Sciences Council conducted an interim evaluation of “Health Japan 21” in December 2006 and
published a written report of the “Health Japan 21 middle evaluation report” in April 2007. In
consideration of the middle evaluation countermeasures against lifestyle- related diseases will be
further promoted as a national campaign in cooperation with industry and through efficient as well
as effective health checkups and counseling guidance made by health care insurers.
In addition, and as part of the reform of the medical care system, discussions were held on how
to provide specific health checkup and specific counseling guidance based on scientific grounds at
the “Study Group on Standard Health Checkup and Counseling Guidance”, aiming at
effective and efficient implementation of the specific health checkup and specific counseling
guidance focused on metabolic syndrome (visceral fat syndrome). A “Standard Health Checkup and
Counseling Guidance Program” was compiled in April 2007 with specific health checkup and specific
counseling having started in FY 2008.