History of nutrition policy in Japan

Why has Japan become the longest-lived country in the world? The longevity is often attributed to Japan’s economic growth, but Japan experienced an extended life expectancy prior to achieving such economic growth. During and after the Second World War when the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers was occupying Japan, the welfare administration system was drastically reformed, resulting in dramatic improvements in the hygiene status, which led to an increase in the average life expectancy in Japan. Here, this background is reviewed, along with an explanation of how Japan has become the world's longest-lived country.

What Does It Mean to Eat Right?

Over the course of their lifetimes, Americans will be given a vast array of changing and sometimes contradictory advice about what constitutes healthy eating and drinking. Charlotte Biltekoff looks at the history of nutrition science to argue that the reason for the changing advice has less to do with science per se, and more to do with the fact that what constitutes “eating right” is a product of social values that are determined by the dominant classes. These classes define their own eating habits as healthy and the mark of good citizenship, thereby condemning those (historically immigrants and the poor) to second-class status.

Eighty years of undergraduate education in nutrition in Brazil: An analysis of the 2009-2018 period

ABSTRACT Objective To carry out an analysis of postgraduate education in Nutrition in Brazil in the period 2009-2018, including distance learning. Methods The article presents a historical-documentary analysis of the trajectory of Nutrition courses from 2009 to 2018. The bibliographic survey was carried out in the electronic databases of the Scientific Electronic Library Online, the National Library of Medicine, Google Academic databases, and through data collection in government websites and other institutions. Results In December 2018, there were 709 face-to-face and 1,094 distance learning Undergraduate Courses in Nutrition in the country. In the period, there was a 181.5% increase in the number of face-to-face courses, being 195.1% in the private sector, responsible for 89.1% of the total courses in the country. The highest concentration identified was in the Southeast Region did not change substantively in the period. Conclusion With 1,803 undergraduate courses in Nutrition in Brazil, of which the majority is composed of distance learning courses, the current scenario may be the most dramatic in the history of nutrition education in Brazil. Care must be taken to ensure that it is consistent, marked by opportunities for learning in society, in which the student can develop an investigative, critical, innovative spirit, having their professional identities clear in a multidisciplinary work team. The expansion of the offer of undergraduate courses in Nutrition did not correct regional asymmetries.

A Brief History of Nutrition

How do we know what we know about food and health? We eat every day, and we know how food makes us feel. Perhaps because of this, many overlook that nutrition is a discipline dedicated to understanding how what we eat and drink impacts...