In 2013, a Japanese government report identified a trend of malnutrition amongst young Japanese women. Potential causes highlighted by the study included the increase in those skipping breakfast, the rise in popularity of eating out, and the replacement of home-cooked meals with ready-meals^*1. Accompanying these were a lack of the necessary knowledge and skills to properly select and prepare food, resulting from changes in female lifestyles.
However, the report also highlighted that a healthy diet starts with understanding what is a healthy weight and appropriate dietary intake for you as an individual.

The "Healthy Japan 21" campaign, launched by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, includes "increase the number of people who recognize their own healthy weight and conduct weight control" as one of their targets. Currently, the proportion of females in their 20s who are trying to lose weight is high at 28.1% of those categorized as "skinny" (based on their BMI) and 62.8% of those in the "normal" group^*2.