REDUCED CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE IN PAST 10 YEARS IN 2 RURAL-AREAS IN JAPAN

Two farming populations participated in the present nutritional survey . One group consisted of rice producing farmers in Miyagi prefecture i n north-eastern Japan, and the other group was farmers in Okinawa pref ecture in southern Japan where agricultural activity focuses on sugar cane and horticulture. The collection of 24-hr total food duplicates w as carried out in winter seasons, and was repeated twice with the firs t study in 1977-1981, and the second one in 1991-1992. In total, 154 a nd 128 food duplicates were collected for nutritional comparisons betw een the two prefectures at two different times. There was a significan t reduction in intake of carbohydrate especially rice in Miyagi during this 10 year period. In Okinawa in contrast, the reduction in intake of carbohydrate and rice was positive but less remarkable. Thus, the r ice consumption in 1990 was almost comparable between the rice produci ng prefecture and the prefecture that imports rice from other prefectu res. Such reduction was associated with the relative decrease of cerea ls as the major protein source in Japanese daily food.