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The First Meeting of the Food Education Promotion Council Wednesday, October 19, 2005 JAPANESE The first meeting of the Food Education Promotion Council was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, members first introduced themselves and then proceeded to decide on the rules of administration, including provisions on the procedures for the meeting. In addition, in order to promote a comprehensive and well-planned food education program in accordance with the Food Education Basic Law, the Council also decided on the target of formulating a Basic Plan for the Promotion of Food Education by the end of March 2006. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, as the Chair of the Council, offered his greetings to the members. "Intellectual, moral, and physical education are all important, but I believe that food education is the foundation. Doctors and medicine are essential, but what is of foremost importance is one's dietary habits. This is something that I have been stressing since I was the Minister of Health and Welfare. I have heard that approximately half of the people suffering from lifestyle-related diseases recover by modifying their dietary habits. This makes one realize the importance of dietary habits. Furthermore, eating is a part of culture. Having meals with people is the most fundamentally important aspect of building up relationships with people. I believe that a happy family life is one of life's greatest pleasures. I ask for your support and guidance so that the meetings of the Council may be meaningful."