The bill was drawn up based on the results of a nutrition and health study conducted nationwide between 2005 and 2008 which showed that an increasing number of people fell ill because of an unbalanced diet. The World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was also taken into consideration, as well as related laws from the United States, Canada and Japan.
The drafted act, which is pending approval by the Cabinet, is divided into eight chapters and comprises 28 articles. It is expected to regulate monitoring activities; nutritional research studies; surveys of people’s diets; detailing of the nutrition components of various foods; promotion of nutrition education; incentives for enterprises producing healthy food, and standard operation procedures for food providers, including those for schools.
The draft bill further stipulates that cafeterias or restaurants in organizations of a certain scale ought to have at least one nutritionist on their payrolls. City and county governments should also provide a local nutrition service network, including a team of experts, to promote healthy eating in their areas. “The act calls for several Cabinet-level agencies to work together in order to efficiently launch the project,” explained Pan Wen-harn, a research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences.
Pan was commissioned by the DOH to conduct the health survey whose results showed a sharp increase in diet-related ailments. It revealed, for example, that 11.7 percent of male adults in Taiwan suffer from diabetes, compared to 3.7 percent between 1993 and 1996.
In addition, results showed that 51.6 percent of all adult men and 36.4 percent of women had a body mass index over 24. BMI is a measurement used to identify obesity problems within a population. In Taiwan, a person with a BMI over 24 is considered overweight, while in western countries the limit is 24.9.
Pan pointed out that 25 percent of men and 20 percent of women also suffered from metabolic problems linked to overweight. This could increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, resulting in higher healthcare expenses. She stressed that if the BMI of all Taiwan’s people could be kept below 24, about NT$32 billion (US$919 million) on healthcare would be saved.
The researcher hopes the act will help release the necessary resources to encourage healthy eating. “The implementation of the National Nutrition Act would address the problem of insufficient funding as the act would require a specific budget for promoting a nutritious and balanced diet,” Pan pointed out.
DOH Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said he hoped that the Legislative Yuan would pass the proposed act by the end of this year.
Write to Jean Yueh at yueh@mail.gio.gov.tw