Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top Research Articles

Greenhouse gas emissions and energy use of self-selected diet is not associated with diet quality among Japanese adults

AbstractMany previous studies supported that shift of dietary choice is necessary to reduce environmental impact and achieve a healthy diet. However, inconsistent results have been shown for the association between the environmental impact of diet and its nutritional adequacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between environmental indicator including greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and energy use (EU) and diet quality using several diet quality scores among Japanese. Dietary data were obtained from a cross-sectional study including 392 healthy adults (196 women and 196 men, aged 20–69 y) living in 20 areas of 47 prefectures, in which four non-consecutive-day diet record was collected from February to March in 2013. Diet-related GHGE and EU were estimated using the Global Link Input-Output model. Diet quality was assessed with the adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFG score), its modified version (modified JFG score), Nutrient-rich Dietary index (NRD9.3.), the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. Participants were categorized into sex-specific tertiles according to energy-adjusted GHGE or EU then mixed for the analysis. Using the PROC GLM procedure, linear regression models were constructed to examine the association of environmental indicators with diet quality and intakes of foods and nutrition. Diet-related GHGE and EU were positively associated with NRF.9.3 score and MDS. Diet-related EU was also positively associated with DASH score. However, there was no significant association observed in either JFG score or the modified JFG score with both diet-related GHGE and EU. Diet-related GHGE and EU were both negatively associated with intakes of well-milled rice, fats and oils, and sugar-sweetened beverage, and positively associated with intakes of vegetables, mushroom, fish and seafood, tea and coffee and seasoning, protein, and several micronutrients. A positive association between GHGE or EU, and NRF.9.3 or MSD was seemed to be due to higher intake of vegetables, fish and seafood, meat, vitamin A, iron, potassium in high GHGE or EU group than low GHGE or EU group. The results suggested that achieving low GHGE or EU diet might not lead to higher nutritional quality among Japanese. On the other hand, it may be possible that diet quality scores used in this study could not appropriately evaluate nutritional adequacy of the diet for the Japanese population as previously suggested.

Diet quality of Japanese adults with respect to age, sex, and income level in the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan.

Although several studies in Western countries show that higher socioeconomic status is associated with higher diet quality, no study has observed this association in Japan. In the current study, we examined the association between diet quality and the combinations of age, sex, and household income, and also compared the dietary intake between diet quality levels according to household income. Cross-sectional study. National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan in 2014. 2785 men and 3215 women. Higher Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top scores (better diet quality) were observed in older women, especially those with higher household income, whereas lower scores were observed in younger men with lower household income. Those having low quality diet, especially in low income households, had higher odds of not meeting the recommended amounts of the Japanese dietary guidelines, than those having high quality diet. Diet quality in Japanese adults differed by age and sex as well as by household income level. A different approach to diet quality improvement is needed according to population characteristics including not only age and sex but also social economic status.

Diet quality and depressive symptoms among workers.

It is not clear whether diet quality influences mental health. We prospectively investigated the association of adherence to the Japanese dietary guidelines with depressive symptoms in a Japanese working population. Participants were 909 workers (aged 19-68 years) without depressive symptoms at baseline who completed both baseline and 3-year follow-up surveys. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was measured based on consumption of the recommended number of servings of grains, vegetables, fish and meat, milk, and fruits, as well as total energy intake and energy from snacks and alcoholic beverages. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio of depressive symptoms according to tertile of adherence score, with adjustment for covariates. At the time of the 3-year follow-up survey, 153 (16.8%) workers were newly identified as having depressive symptoms (CES-D score of ≥16). The adherence score was not associated with depressive symptoms after 3 years. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for the lowest through highest tertiles of dietary score were 1.00 (reference), 0.91 (0.57-1.45), and 1.23 (0.76-1.99) (P for trend=0.41). The odds ratios for severe depressive symptoms (CES-D score of ≥23) tended to decrease with increasing adherence score. Our results suggest that diet based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was not prospectively associated with risk of depressive symptoms among Japanese.

Diet quality and depression risk in a Japanese population: the Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-based Prospective Study

The association of overall diet quality based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top with risk of depression is not known. This prospective cohort study aimed to determine whether higher adherence to the Japanese food guide reduced the risk of depression. Of 12,219 residents enrolled at baseline, we extracted 1,112 participants who completed a 5-year follow-up (1995) and participated in a mental health screening (2014–2015). Diet quality was scored based on adherence to the Japanese food guide and the ratio of white to red meat according to the Alternative Healthy Index and ranged from 0 (worst) to 80 (best). We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for current psychiatrist-diagnosed depression per quartile of total score and of eight component scores with the lowest quartile as reference. Mean age of the participants was 73 years and 59% were women. Total diet quality score was not significantly associated with risk of depression 20 years after the baseline assessment. Among the eight components on the diet quality score, there was a significantly reduced risk for the highest quartile of the white to red meat ratio score. In conclusion, our results do not indicate that higher adherence to the Japanese food guide prevents depression.

Association between Adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and Sleep Quality in College Students.

This study aimed to elucidate the association between adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (Food Guide score) and sleep quality in Japanese college students. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 175 Japanese college students aged 19–22 years in the eastern part of Gunma Prefecture to examine the association between the Food Guide score and sleep quality. A self-administered diet history questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to assess habitual dietary intake and sleep quality, respectively. In the fully adjusted model, the odds ratios for poor sleep quality in the middle and highest tertile categories of the Food Guide score were 0.50 (95% confidence interval, 0.18–1.37) and 0.30 (95% confidence interval, 0.11–0.84), respectively, compared with those in the lowest tertile category (p for trend = 0.033). A well-balanced diet may be associated with good sleep quality in Japanese college students.

Diet quality scores in relation to metabolic risk factors in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional analysis from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan.

Associations between the overall quality of Japanese diets and metabolic risk factors are largely unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated this issue using data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan. Dietary intake was assessed by a 1-day weighed dietary record in 15,618 Japanese adults aged ≥ 20years. Overall diet quality was assessed by adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFG score), its modified version (modified JFG score), the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. Metabolic risk factors included BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin. While DASH score was consistently associated with favourable nutrient intake patterns (including higher micronutrient and dietary fibre intakes and lower SFA and sodium intakes), other scores were associated with both favourable and unfavourable aspects (e.g., lower micronutrient intakes for JFG score, higher SFA intakes for modified JFG score and higher sodium intakes for MDS). The associations with metabolic risk factors were also inconsistent and unexpected, including positive associations of JFG and modified JFG scores with LDL-cholesterol, inverse associations of MDS with HDL-cholesterol and null associations of DASH score with blood pressure. This study did not show expected and consistent associations of the four available diet quality scores with nutrient intakes and metabolic risk factors in Japanese adults. This in turn suggests the need for a scientific base on which to develop an appropriate tool for assessing the quality of diets in the Japanese context.

Food-based diet quality score in relation to depressive symptoms in young and middle-aged Japanese women.

Only a few studies have focused on the association between overall diet, rather than intakes of individual nutrients or foods, and depressive symptoms in Japanese. This cross-sectional study examined associations between a diet quality score and depressive symptoms in 3963 young (age 18 years) and 3833 middle-aged (mean age 47·9 (sd 4·2) years) Japanese women. Dietary information was collected using a diet history questionnaire. A previously developed diet quality score was computed mainly based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 22·0 % for young women and 16·8 % for middle-aged women, assessed as a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) score ≥23 and ≥19, respectively. As expected, the diet quality score was associated positively with intakes of 'grain dishes', 'vegetable dishes', 'fish and meat dishes', 'milk' and 'fruits' and inversely with intakes of energy from 'snacks, confection and beverages' and Na from seasonings. After adjustment for potential confounders, OR for depressive symptoms in the highest v. lowest quintiles of the diet quality score was 0·65 (95 % CI 0·50, 0·84) in young women (P for trend=0·0005). In middle-aged women, the corresponding value was 0·59 (95 % CI 0·45, 0·78) (P for trend<0·0001). Analyses where the diet quality and CES-D scores were treated as continuous variables also showed inverse associations. In conclusion, this cross-sectional study showed that a higher diet quality score was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in young and middle-aged Japanese women. Prospective studies are needed to confirm a public health relevance of this finding.

Implementing a nutrition education program using the Japanese food guide spinning top and behavioral science

Implementing a nutrition education program using the Japanese food guide spinning top and behavioral science

Relationship of Consumption of Meals Including Grain, Fish and Meat, and Vegetable Dishes to the Prevention of Nutrient Deficiency: The INTERMAP Toyama Study.

A Japanese-style diet consists of meals that include grain (shushoku), fish and meat (shusai), and vegetable dishes (fukusai). Little is known about the association of such meals (designated well-balanced meals hereafter) with nutrient intake. We therefore examined the frequency of well-balanced meals required to prevent nutrient deficiency. Participants were Japanese people, ages 40 to 59 y, from Toyama, recruited for INTERMAP, in an international population-based study. Each person provided 4 in-depth 24-h dietary recalls (149 men, 150 women). The prevalence of risk ratios of not meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2015) was calculated. Well-balanced diets were assessed by the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top. We counted the frequencies of meals in which participants consumed 1.0 or more servings of all 3 dishes categories. We divided the frequency of consumption of well-balanced meals into the following 4 groups: <1.00 time/d, 1.00-1.49 times/d, 1.50-1.74 times/d, and ≥1.75 times/d. Compared with participants in the highest frequency group for well-balanced meals, those who consumed well-balanced meals less than once a day had a higher risk of not meeting the adequate intake for potassium and the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A. Those who consumed well-balanced meals on average less than 1.50 times per day had a higher risk of not meeting the recommended dietary allowance for calcium and vitamin C. Our results suggest that individuals should on average consume well-balanced meals more than 1.5 times per day to prevent calcium and vitamin C deficiencies.

Development of a food-based diet quality score for Japanese: associations of the score with nutrient intakes in young, middle-aged and older Japanese women.

Several previous studies have shown that a diet score based on the Japanese food guide Spinning Top (the original score) is associated with both favourable and unfavourable dietary intake patterns. We developed a food-based diet quality score (the modified score) and examined associations with nutrient intakes. Subjects were 3963 young (all aged 18 years), 3800 middle-aged (mean age 47·7 (sd 3·9) years) and 2211 older (mean age 74·4 (sd 5·2) years) Japanese women. Dietary intakes were assessed using comprehensive (for the young and middle-aged) and brief-type (for the older) diet history questionnaires. The original score was calculated based on intakes of grains, vegetables, fish/meat, milk, fruits, and snacks/alcoholic beverages. The modified score was similarly calculated, but included Na from seasonings and without applying the upper cut-off values for dietary components where increased consumption is advocated for Japanese women (grains, vegetables, fish/meat, milk, and fruits). The original score was positively associated with intakes of carbohydrate, dietary fibre, and all the vitamins and minerals examined including Na and inversely with intakes of fats and alcohol in young and middle-aged women. In older women, the original score was inversely associated with intakes of all nutrients except for carbohydrate and vitamin C. However, the modified score was associated positively with intakes of protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, vitamins A, C and E, and folate and inversely with intakes of fats, alcohol and Na in all generations. In conclusion, the modified diet score was positively associated with favourable nutrient intake patterns in Japanese women.

Adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines in relation to metabolic risk factors in young Japanese women.

While Japanese diets have attracted considerable attention because of, for example, the long-life expectancy in Japan, their health benefits have not been examined. In the present study, we cross-sectionally examined whether adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines is associated with metabolic risk factors in 1083 Japanese women aged 18-22 years. Based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines was assessed using dietary information on consumed servings of grain dishes, vegetable dishes, fish and meat dishes, milk and fruits and energy from snacks and alcoholic beverages during the preceding month, which was derived from a comprehensive diet history questionnaire. Higher dietary adherence was associated with higher intakes of protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, Na, K and vitamin C, and lower intakes of total and saturated fat. There was also an inverse association between dietary adherence and dietary energy density. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, dietary adherence was inversely associated with waist circumference (P for trend = 0·002). It also showed an inverse association with LDL-cholesterol concentrations (P for trend = 0·04). There was no association with the other metabolic risk factors examined, including BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total and HDL-cholesterol, TAG, glucose, glycated Hb and insulin concentrations. In conclusion, higher adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines, which was characterised by favourable dietary intakes of foods and nutrients as well as lower energy density, was associated with lower waist circumference and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in this group of young Japanese women.

Examination of Eating Attitude Differences with Recognition of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top in Employee Cafeterias

Examination of Eating Attitude Differences with Recognition of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top in Employee Cafeterias

Study on Eating Behavior Modification of Company Cafeteria Users When Healthy Menus and Related Information Are Continuously Provided with Reference to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top for Three Years

Study on Eating Behavior Modification of Company Cafeteria Users When Healthy Menus and Related Information Are Continuously Provided with Reference to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top for Three Years

防災栄養－災害時の加工食品の役割－「日本食品科学工学会第59回大会」防災フォーラムの報告

In order to encourage the participants to reconsider how to obtain and provide food assistance in the event of a large-scale natural disaster, we held a disaster prevention forum at the 59th annual conference of the Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology. We presented various meal combinations of processed food based on the concepts of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, which presents information for maintaining physical well-being that can be understood without any specialized knowledge about nutrition. In addition, we introduced menus for groups in need of special assistance such as infants, the elderly and foreign residents (e.g., Muslims). We targeted participants at a disaster prevention event as a way to induce individuals to learn diet self-help techniques, in the hopes that participation in this forum raises awareness of food-related issues in disaster prevention.

Effects of Dietary Education in High School Utilizing the “Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top”

Effects of Dietary Education in High School Utilizing the “Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top”

大学生における「食事バランスガイド」に基づいたSV算定の妥当性の検討

大学生における「食事バランスガイド」に基づいたSV算定の妥当性の検討

Nutritional policies and dietary guidelines in Japan.

The national government settled on "Healthy Japan 21" as the premier preventive policy of lifestyle related diseases in 2000. In 2005, the effectiveness of the campaign was conducted, but the results did not turn out as expected. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare made the "Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFG-ST)" as a practical and easy way to improve eating habits for all of the people. The JFG-ST falls down when the balance of the diets worsens and expresses a stable thing in what a turn (exercise) does. Eyes down quantity to take out of each group per day is shown in the basic form by the 5 distinction from grain dishes, vegetable dishes, fish and meat dishes, milk, and fruits. In 2005, the Basic Law on Dietary Education was enacted to promote the dietary education about the importance of eating proper meals in order to solve problems such as inappropriate eating habits and nutrition intake, disturbances in diets, increases in lifestyle-related diseases, a fall in the rate of food self-sufficiency and so forth. The Ministry of Education and Science started a program to train people to become "diet and nutrition teacher" in primary school. JFG- ST is developed in a dietary education campaign as a standard method of the dietary education. In May, 2011, the government has announced the second dietary education promotional basic plan to assume five years.

Impact of awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top on eating behaviour

To investigate whether awareness of the Japanese Food Guide (JFG) can promote changes in eating behaviour. A longitudinal study was conducted in 2007 and 2009 by means of an Internet-based survey. Awareness status of the JFG and a sixteen-item scale for calculating eating behaviour scores were obtained. Japan. In total, 787 Japanese adults (20-59 years) who registered with an Internet research service organization were included in the study. The respondents were divided into three groups. The respondents who were aware of the JFG in 2007 were categorized into Group 1. Those who were not aware of the JFG in 2007 were categorized into either Group 2 or Group 3. Group 2 became aware of the JFG by 2009, and Group 3 was not aware of the JFG in 2009. In Group 2, the eating behaviour score increased significantly by 0·8 points from 4·7 in 2007 to 5·5 in 2009 (P = 0·004). The eating behaviour score of Group 1 (6·5 points in 2007; 6·3 points in 2009) and Group 3 (3·8 points in 2007; 4·1 points in 2009) did not change significantly from 2007 to 2009. Awareness of the JFG promoted eating behaviour change in the Japanese population. The results indicate that awareness of nutrition information from sources such as the JFG would promote healthy eating.

Influence of awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top on eating behavior and obesity.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top on eating behavior and obesity in Japan. Participants were 1,558 Japanese male and female adults (40.2±12.2 years) who had been registered with a social research company. The cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted via the Internet in November 2007. Potential respondents were invited to complete the survey via e-mail, which contained a link to the survey Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The measures were awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, eating knowledge scores, eating attitude scores, and eating behaviors scores, according to the recommendations of the Health Japan 21 and the Food Balance Guide Spinning Top. Obesity was assessed by self-reported body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. The relationships between awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, eating knowledge scores, eating attitude scores, eating behavior scores, and obesity were analyzed using path analysis. Path analysis revealed that awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was associated with BMI and waist circumference via eating behavior scores. In addition, eating knowledge scores and eating attitude scores were mediators of the association between awareness of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and eating behavior scores. These results suggest that promotion of the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top would be a useful strategy to encourage healthy eating and prevent obesity in the Japanese population.

Publicizing the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top at a Department Store and the Status of Its Recognition by the Public

【目的】平成19年度から福岡市健康づくりセンターでは，食事バランスガイドに基づいたコンピュータソフトを活用して食育活動を行ってきたが，来所者にしか対応していなかった。そこで，百貨店の催事にこのコンピュータを設置したコーナーを併設し，より多くの市民を対象に食事バランスガイドの啓発活動を行うために栄養士が中心となって本事業を行った。【方法】2009年1月に，百貨店の催事で，簡易的な食事診断により1食分の献立を聞きとり，それに対して栄養士が個別に指導を行った。また，同時に栄養士業務の認知度等についてもアンケート調査を実施した。【結果】コーナーの参加者は278人，本調査の対象者は262人であった。食事バランスガイドの認知度は，内容認知21.8％，イラスト・名前認知44.1％および非認知34.0％であった。適量の1食分を選択した者は，認知群で18.0％，およびイラスト・名前認知群で19.0％と，非認知群の12.2％より高かったものの，食事内容に食事バランスガイドを生かせていない者が認知群でも82.0％であった。非認知群では，誤解しやすい食情報を肯定的に認識している者が多かった。【結論】他調査や施設へ来場する市民と比べ，百貨店内の対象者の認知度は低く，栄養士が外へ出向き市民を積極的に募り情報を広く発信した啓発は必要であることが示唆された。また，今回のような他業種と連携した啓発事業は栄養士の業務について市民に正しく知ってもらうためにも重要である。