TOKYO - Japan manages a rare feat for a developed country when it comes to feeding its children - high scores for nutrition but very low obesity rates. One major key? School lunches.
"School lunches with menus that are created by nutritionists are provided to all primary schools and the majority of junior high schools throughout Japan," Dr Mitsuhiko Hara, a paediatrician and professor at Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, told AFP. "School lunch is designed to provide nutrition that tends to be lacking in meals at home," education ministry official Mayumi Ueda told AFP."I think it contributes to the nutritional balance necessary for children."
The Japanese government studies nutrition and eating habits in Japan annually, and uses the results to shape what goes into the school meals, she added.
Reason for less obesity in Japan is their food and their ability not to overindulge .