10.068
14 (Thu) March 2019
Healthyish Diet
2.5
at National Institute of Public Health
-Wakoshi, Saitama-
with meeting participants
Mission to Japan, Day 5.
- Day 1 (10.064 Cream Cheese in Tofu Goo)
- Day 2 (10.065 Kyuri Kimuchi)
- Day 3 (10.066 Lightly Seared Whale Sashimi…)
- Day 4 (10.067 Tuna and Avocado Salad)
In Wakoshi. Here to co-coordinate the 6th Regional Workshop on Leadership and Advocacy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (LeAd-NCD), which will focus on strengthening legal frameworks – Tuesday to Friday – bringing together staff from both ministries of health and parliaments – an off-shoot of the ever-expanding Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health. Previously, I had helped to organize the 4th LeAd-NCD in 2016, which was focused on childhood obesity, including legal measures to restrict marketing to children (see most recently 7.269 Grilled Shiitake).
For reasons not important to explain here, the welcome reception was held tonight, on the third day of the meeting. As per tradition, it was held at NIPH. The spread seemed healthier last time (see previously 7.266 Gu Ba).
MIDNIGHT SNACK
As per personal tradition, I cannot spend a night in Japan without a late-nite nibble.
I suddenly realized how much plastic waste is generated by each of these seemingly innocent meals – not just the outer containers but also the tiny baggies inside the pack that preserve the integrity of every individual element of the dish, demonstrating the Japanese obsessive attention to detail, especially where food is concerned. Makes me dizzy to think how much plastic waste is generated by the country as a whole and wonder whether they’ve come up with a green solution to deal with all of it.
As a result, I’ve decided to cut down on these midnight snacks, at least in takeout form.