National Nutrition Agency highlights Japan's success in implementing nutritious meals

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has highlighted Japan’s success in implementing nutritious meals, which can serve as a reference for continuing Indonesia’s free nutritious meals (MBG) programme. “Japan’s experience in running a nutritious meals programme continuously has succeeded in raising the average height of its population,” said BGN Head Dadan Hindayana in Padang City on Wednesday. Dadan stated that before the nutritious meals programme in Japan, the average height of individuals in the Land of the Rising Sun was around 159 centimetres. However, after the programme was implemented sustainably, the average height of Japanese people rose to 170 centimetres. Interestingly, over the last 15 years, the nutritious meals programme implemented in Japan has also impacted the healthy lifestyle of Japanese society to this day. “In the last 15 years in Japan, the average height of the population has increased but their body weight has actually decreased. This is due to the healthy lifestyle practised for over a decade,” he said. During his visit to the Minangkabau region, he also mentioned Padang City’s efforts towards becoming a Gastronomic City. At the same time, BGN has asked the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) to produce food menus based on each region’s local resource potential. This suggestion is so that every menu enjoyed by the beneficiaries can be varied. At the same time, BGN has recorded 80 Nusantara dishes specifically for MBG. Meanwhile, West Sumatra Deputy Governor Vasko Ruseimy emphasised that the local government will continue to commit to supporting the central programme, one of which is MBG, which is a priority of President Prabowo Subianto. “We will not only succeed in MBG but also promote delicious menus,” he said.