Photo/Illutration Juicy mandarin oranges fresh from the farm (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Strawberries, cherries, melons and watermelons from spring through summer. Asian pears, grapes, persimmons and chestnuts in autumn. Apples and mandarin oranges in winter.

Japan is blessed with mouthwatering seasonal fruit throughout the year.

And yet, fruit consumption remains relatively low.

The health ministry’s latest annual National Health and Nutrition Survey showed that 38 percent of those aged 20 and older did not consume a single bit of fruit on the day of the poll.

Zero consumption ratios were higher among younger age brackets: 61 percent for those in their 20s, 55 percent for thirtysomethings and 53 percent for those in their 40s.

The survey looks into what the subjects ate on a given single day. This way the figures do not represent the ratios of those who shun fruit throughout the year. The findings were clear evidence that many Japanese are not in the habit of eating fruit.

Like vegetables, eating fruit is not only essential for reducing the risk of lifestyle-related illnesses, it also plays a major role in the preservation of overall health.

Earlier this year, the health ministry set a numerical target of 200 grams per day for fruit intake under the third term of its “Health Japan 21” program, which is set to start in 2024.

Health Japan 21 defines various indicators for promoting people’s health, such as ways to improve lifestyles and enhance the quality of a person’s social environment. Article-specific intake targets are set in the program, in the domain of dietary habits, for fruits, vegetables and salt alone.

“We set these indicators for items for which scientific grounds exist to show they have a positive effect on the prevention of diseases,” said a ministry official.

The fruit intake target was made partly on the basis of scholarly research that up to 200 grams of fruit a day reduces the risk of diseases, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, the official added.

The volume of fruit consumption has been on a declining trend. Among those aged 20 or older, daily intake averaged only 99 grams for the most recent survey.

The ministry set a goal of doubling that figure.

Eating fruit is not considered the obvious thing to do, and Fumi Hayashi, an associate professor with Kagawa Nutrition University, said that is not surprising.

“Fruit is viewed in Japan as a sort of dessert or snack. This is exemplified in the way fruit is referred to as ‘mizu-gashi’ (watery sweets),” she said. “People seldom think of fruit as part of their meals.”

Hayashi pointed out that numerous public education campaigns have been held to promote the consumption of vegetables, but few for fruit, with the result the public is poorly informed. That, she said, partly accounts for the current state of things.

Many people also apparently labor under the misconception that eating fruit makes one fat because of the natural sugar content.

“Those who are not in the habit of eating fruit shouldn’t strive for the 200-gram goal at a stretch, but they could at least begin introducing fruits into their meals, be it only once a day,” the nutritionist added.

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