| [ Summary ] |
The importance of nutritional quality and nutritional assessment has been pointed out. The Recommended Dietary Allowances of nutrients used to be determined chiefly for the prevention of nutritional deficiencies, but its recent (6th) revision has incorporated provisions for excess intake. With the introduction of the concept of lifestyle-related diseases, obesity and leanness have come to be linked to diseases. Obesity is defined as an excess level of adipose tissue in the body. The lowest incidence of diseases is associated with a BMI value of 22, and the ideal body weight (kg) is expressed as height (m)2x22. In 1999, the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity, defined obesity as a BMI value 25 or higher, which would double the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Leanness is not simply the oposite of obesity. It is associated with loss of not only body fat, but also body protein, i.e., associated with nutritional disorders. |