School lunch program for health promotion among children in Japan.

In Japan, the present school lunch program has been implemented under the "School Lunch Act" enacted in 1954. The main purpose of the school lunch program is to promote healthy development of the minds and bodies of school children. Later, "The School Lunch Act" was revised in 2008 and its aim was changed to "promoting Shokuiku". As of May 2009, approximately 10 million school children participate in the school lunch program. This program itself is an educational activity. School children are responsible for serving lunch and clearing the dishes. They could also learn proper manners, by having meals together with classmates. Furthermore, understanding of balanced diet and food culture can be enhanced through learning the menu of each meal. Recently, as eating disorders and obesity increase among adults and school children, there is rising concern on development of lifestyle-related diseases. Under this circumstance, the Basic Law on Shokuiku was enacted in 2005. Besides, in order to enhance Shokuiku to school children, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology established the Diet and Nutrition Teacher System in April 2007. It is reported that, in those schools with Diet and Nutrition Teachers, a positive impact has been observed in terms of awareness and interest in diet among teachers and guardians. It is also reported that proportion of children skipping breakfast has decreased, and quality of life has been improved. In this way, the Japanese school lunch program system is essential for fostering healthy mind and bodies for the next generation.