Meal pattern evaluation system, meal pattern evaluation method, and meal pattern evaluation program

Abstract

To provide a meal pattern evaluation system for reducing the labor of the answer of an object person, and for performing the evaluation of meal balance and meal guidance based on the meal pattern of the object person.SOLUTION: A meal pattern evaluation system 1 according to the present invention includes a meal information acquisition unit 11 that acquires meal information on meals taken by a subject person for one week or more, a meal classification unit 12 that classifies the meal information into predetermined dish categories, a total dish number calculation unit 13 that calculates a total number of dishes for each dish category, an average dish number calculation unit 14 that calculates an average number of dishes taken by the subject person per day by averaging the total number of dishes, and a meal evaluation unit 15 that evaluates a meal balance of a meal pattern by comparing the average number of dishes with a preset ideal number of dishes for a healthy meal. The meal information is a dish name or a food name of a meal ingested by the target person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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[0005] <000**********<000**********The present invention relates to a diet pattern evaluation system, a diet pattern evaluation method, and a diet pattern evaluation program.

Background Art

[0002] For extending a healthy life span, a sound diet is important, and it is desired that an individual knows the soundness of daily diet. However, since a conventional dietary survey is a nutritional survey aimed at calculating each nutrient including energy as a part of nutritional science research, it is necessary to obtain computable data such as the weight or volume of each food included in the diet, and there has been a problem that it is not easy for an individual to carry out because it requires a considerable amount of labor for the response of the subject. In order to solve the above problems, a method has been proposed that can evaluate whether the diet that a subject ingests relatively easily is sound (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] <**********<**********[[ID=**********]] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-34167

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The method described in Non-Patent Document 1 evaluates the daily dietary balance based on the names of the dishes consumed by the subjects and the amount consumed converted to a standard amount determined for each dish, compared to a guideline intake. The aim is to present the survey results as an excess or deficiency of the standard intake amount for each dish, so that individuals can review their food intake and use it to improve their own diet. Although Non-Patent Document 1 describes it as dietary balance, the method described in Non-Patent Document 1 is based on the amount consumed converted to a standard unit for each dish determined based on the amount of nutrients, and is in effect an evaluation of nutritional balance.

[0007] In recent years, the importance of "eating patterns"—the repetition of meals consisting of diverse dishes—has been pointed out as an indicator of dietary health, rather than specific foods and nutrients. Furthermore, improving eating patterns is desired to extend healthy life expectancy. To improve eating patterns, it is effective to provide specific and actionable dietary guidance based on information about individual eating patterns. Therefore, there is a need for dietary surveys that are easy for individuals to answer and allow for the measurement of individual eating patterns.

[0008] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 calculates food items and their consumption frequency from the input food or dish names and evaluates nutritional balance based on the consumption frequency of food items, but does not focus on meal patterns, which are repetitive meals. Similarly, the method described in Non-Patent Document 1 evaluates nutritional balance based on the amount of food consumed, which requires effort from the subjects to respond, and also does not focus on meal patterns, which are repetitive meals. Therefore, the methods described in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1 still have the problem of not being able to evaluate meal patterns and provide dietary guidance based on meal patterns.

[0009] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a meal pattern evaluation system, a meal pattern evaluation method, and a meal pattern evaluation program that require less effort from the subject to answer questions and can provide evaluation of dietary balance and dietary guidance based on the subject's eating patterns. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The meal pattern evaluation system of the present invention comprises: a meal information acquisition unit that acquires meal information for one week or more of meals consumed by a subject; a meal classification unit that classifies the meal information into predetermined dish categories; a total dish calculation unit that calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category; an average dish calculation unit that calculates the average number of dishes consumed by the subject per day by averaging the total number of dishes; and a meal evaluation unit that evaluates the meal balance of the meal pattern by comparing the average number of dishes with a preset ideal number of dishes that constitute a healthy meal. The meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the meal pattern evaluation system, the meal categories include staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, milk and dairy products, and fruits. The meal evaluation unit displays the evaluation results for each meal category based on the surplus or deficit of the average number of dishes compared to the ideal number of dishes.

[0012] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the meal pattern evaluation system, the food categories include at least one of the following classifications: a high-salt food category, a confectionery category, and an alcoholic beverage category. The meal evaluation unit also evaluates at least one of the following: salt intake, number of times confectionery is consumed, and frequency of alcoholic beverage consumption, by comparing the average number of servings of at least one of the high-salt food category, confectionery category, and alcoholic beverage category with the ideal number of servings.

[0013] Furthermore, the preferred embodiment of the meal pattern evaluation system further comprises a subject information acquisition unit that acquires subject information about the subject, and a comment creation unit that creates guidance comments to improve the meal balance to suit the subject's condition based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit and the subject information.

[0014] A more preferred embodiment of the meal pattern evaluation system further includes a meal suggestion unit that, based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit and the subject information, suggests dish names or food names that are lacking in the subject's diet and should be recommended to improve the subject's dietary balance.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention's method for evaluating meal patterns comprises: a meal information acquisition step of acquiring meal information for one week or more of meals consumed by a subject; a meal classification step of classifying the meal information into predetermined dish categories; a total dish calculation step of calculating the total number of dishes for each dish category; an average dish calculation step of calculating the average number of dishes consumed by the subject per day by averaging the total number of dishes; and a meal evaluation step of comparing the average number of dishes with a preset ideal number of dishes for a healthy meal to evaluate the meal balance of the meal pattern. The meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject.

[0016] In addition, the diet pattern evaluation program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a process including a dietary information acquisition step of acquiring dietary information regarding the diet of a subject for one week or more that the subject has consumed, a diet classification step of classifying the dietary information into predetermined cooking categories, a total plate count calculation step of calculating the total number of plates for each cooking category, an average plate count calculation step of calculating the average number of plates consumed by the subject per day by averaging the total plate count, and a diet evaluation step of evaluating the diet balance of the diet pattern by comparing the average plate count with an ideal plate count that is a preset healthy diet. The dietary information is the name of the dish or food that the subject has consumed.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the labor of the subject's response is small, and it is possible to evaluate the diet balance and provide diet guidance based on the diet pattern of the subject.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the correlation between the diet pattern evaluation method of the present invention and the conventional nutritional evaluation method. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a diet pattern evaluation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a sheet for recording dietary information used in the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a dish name database used in the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a diet balance evaluation point calculation table used in the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a guidance comment database used in the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing a diet pattern evaluation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of a report output from the diet pattern evaluation system of the present invention. [Figure 9]It is a diagram showing another example of a report output from the diet pattern evaluation system of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the correlation of evaluation points between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the correlation between the diet pattern evaluation method of the present invention and the conventional nutritional evaluation method. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional nutritional evaluation method determines the intake amount of nutrients (for example, protein, fat, carbohydrates, etc.) from the foods consumed, analyzes the nutritional balance based on the weight of the nutrients consumed, and gives guidance on the excess or deficiency of nutrients based on the analysis results. In contrast, the diet pattern evaluation method of the present invention obtains a diet pattern from a diet that is a combination of dishes, analyzes the diet balance related to the nutritional balance based on the diet pattern, and gives guidance on the excess or deficiency of the diet pattern based on the analysis results.

[0021] Here, "dish" means food made by cooking a plurality of ingredients. "Food" means an item that a person can eat and an item that becomes an ingredient of a "dish". "Diet" means a combination (one meal portion) of "dish" or "food". Hereinafter, they are synonymous throughout this specification.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the diet pattern evaluation system Ⅰ according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the diet pattern evaluation system Ⅰ according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a sheet for recording diet information used in the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a dish name database used in the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a diet balance evaluation point calculation table used in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance comment database used in the present invention. In FIG. 6, an example of a guidance comment for staple foods is shown.

[0023] The Meal Pattern Evaluation System 1 is a system that evaluates the balance of a person's meal patterns based on their eating habits. The Meal Pattern Evaluation System 1 is built on User Terminal 2 and / or Server Terminal 3 by installing the Meal Pattern Evaluation Program on User Terminal 2 and / or Server Terminal 3, which is connected to User Terminal 2 via a network 4 such as the Internet or LAN (Local Area Network). All functions of the Meal Pattern Evaluation System 1 may be built on either User Terminal 2 or Server Terminal 3, or some functions of the Meal Pattern Evaluation System 1 may be built on User Terminal 2 and other functions of the Meal Pattern Evaluation System 1 may be built on Server Terminal 3.

[0024] Here, the subject is the person whose eating patterns are being evaluated, and the user is the person who is performing the evaluation of the eating patterns. The user is, for example, a registered dietitian. If the subject evaluates their own eating patterns, the user also includes the subject. In the following explanation, the eating pattern evaluation system 1 is described as having the eating pattern evaluation program installed on server terminal 3, with all functions built on server terminal 3, and operating by receiving instructions from user terminal 2 connected via network 4.

[0025] User terminal 2 is a terminal used by a user who wants to evaluate their eating patterns. User terminal 2 is equipped with a display device, such as a display, for the user to view information output from the eating pattern evaluation system 1, and an input device, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, or microphone, for inputting eating information into the eating pattern evaluation system 1. User terminal 2 is also equipped with an imaging device, such as a camera, for capturing images or videos. Furthermore, user terminal 2 is equipped with a storage device, such as a semiconductor memory, for storing various data. User terminal 2 can be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet computer, or a smartphone.

[0026] Server terminal 3 is a terminal on which the meal pattern evaluation program is installed and the meal pattern evaluation system 1 is constructed. Server terminal 3 is, for example, a server computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and storage.

[0027] The meal pattern evaluation system 1 comprises a meal information acquisition unit 11, a meal classification unit 12, a total number of dishes calculation unit 13, an average number of dishes calculation unit 14, a meal evaluation unit 15, a control unit 21, and a storage unit 22. The meal pattern evaluation system 1 may further include a subject information acquisition unit 16, a comment creation unit 17, and a meal suggestion unit 18.

[0028] The meal information acquisition unit 11 acquires meal information for meals consumed by the subject for one week or more. Here, meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject. The meal information includes date and time information such as the year, month, and day of the meal, whether it was breakfast or lunch, and person information indicating whose meal it was. The meal information does not include information indicating the quantity of the dish consumed, such as whether it was a full serving or half a serving, or the weight, volume, and number of food items consumed.

[0029] Specifically, participants record meal information daily, divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, using the names of dishes or food items. Participants record meal information by, for example, using a dedicated record sheet as shown in Figure 3, by operating the meal pattern evaluation system 1 and inputting the information into a recording screen displayed on the user terminal 2 using the input device on the user terminal 2, or by taking photographs of the food with the imaging device on the user terminal 2. The recording screen is similar to the dedicated record sheet shown in Figure 3. When writing or inputting dish names, for example, stir-fries or stews, the ingredients should be clearly indicated. For set meals served in restaurants, bento boxes from convenience stores, and hot pots, the description or input should be made in a way that makes it easy to identify the dishes or food items included in the meal, and if possible, the main dishes or food items included in the set meal, bento box, or hot pot should be listed and entered. When writing on the dedicated record sheet or entering information into the recording screen, the date and time should also be included. When taking photographs for recording, the date information should be added when saving the image data of the photograph.

[0030] The meal information acquisition unit 11 acquires meal information for one week or more recorded by the subject. For example, if the subject records meal information on a dedicated record sheet, the meal information acquisition unit 11 acquires image data of the record sheet captured by the imaging device of the user terminal 2, and acquires it as text data by performing character recognition on the image data. Since the dedicated record sheet contains date and time information, the date and time information is also acquired when performing character recognition on the image data. If the subject inputs meal information into the meal pattern evaluation system 1, the input meal information is stored in the storage device of the user terminal 2 or in the storage unit 22 of the meal pattern evaluation system 1, so it is read and acquired from the storage device or storage unit 22. In this case as well, since date and time information is also stored, the date and time information is read and acquired from the storage device or storage unit 22. Furthermore, if the subject records meal information in the form of a photograph, the image data of the photograph is stored in the storage device of the user terminal 2 or in the storage unit 22 of the meal pattern evaluation system 1, so the image data of the photograph is read from the storage device or storage unit 22, image processing is performed to generate text data of the dish name or food name, and the generated text data is acquired. In this case, since date information is attached to the image data, the date information is obtained when acquiring the image data, and the date information is added to the generated text data. In either case, the person information is obtained from the login information of the user terminal 2 when the meal information acquisition unit 11 acquires the meal information.

[0031] The meal classification unit 12 classifies meal information into predetermined food categories. The storage unit 22 of the server terminal 3 stores a food name database, as shown in Figure 4, which indicates which food category a dish name and food name belongs to. The meal classification unit 12 compares the meal information acquired by the meal information acquisition unit 11 with the food name database to determine which food category it belongs to and classifies it. In this embodiment, the food categories are staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, milk and dairy products, and fruits. The food categories may also include categories for high-salt dishes, categories for sweets, and categories for alcoholic beverages. Note that the food categories are not limited to those listed above; for example, main dishes and side dishes may be grouped together as "side dishes."

[0032] Staple foods are those that primarily contain carbohydrates. Staple foods include white rice, seasoned rice, bread, ramen, and noodles other than ramen. Emphasis is placed on the form of staple foods, and foods containing small amounts of carbohydrates are not included in the definition of staple foods. Staple food categories can be further subdivided into white rice, seasoned rice, bread, ramen, noodles other than ramen, and others. Staple foods are the centerpiece of a meal, and there is a tendency for high-salt dishes to be chosen as main and side dishes depending on the staple food. Therefore, subdividing them will allow for more accurate guidance comments on improving dietary balance, as described later.

[0033] The main dish is something that contains protein, such as meat, fish, or eggs. Emphasis is placed on the physical form of the main dish; dishes containing only a small amount of protein are not included.

[0034] Side dishes are mainly made up of vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, and seaweed. Vegetable juice is also considered a side dish. On the other hand, small amounts of vegetables used as condiments are not included in the definition of a side dish.

[0035] Milk and dairy products include not only milk and dairy products themselves, but also dishes that use milk and dairy products, such as café au lait, corn soup, and cream stew.

[0036] Fruits include fresh fruit, dried fruit, and 100% fruit juice. Juices with a low fruit juice content are not included in the fruit category and are classified as confectionery.

[0037] High-salt dishes include soups, pickles, and noodle broths. High-salt dishes may overlap with other categories. For example, ramen falls into both the staple food and high-salt food categories. Also, soups with many ingredients and many side dish elements are treated as complex dishes and fall into both the side dish and high-salt food categories. However, pickles used to season staple foods and main dishes are not included in high-salt dishes.

[0038] Confectionery includes sweets as well as sugary drinks. Alcoholic beverages are alcoholic drinks.

[0039] Nutritional supplements and vitamins can serve as meal replacements in modern times, and therefore, depending on their ingredients, they are classified as staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, etc.

[0040] The total number of dishes calculation unit 13 calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category. The total number of dishes calculation unit 13 calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category by counting the number of dish names or food names included in each dish category classified by the meal classification unit 12. For example, if you eat rice in one meal, it is counted as one main dish, regardless of whether the portion is large or small. If you eat both rice and noodles in one meal, the rice is counted as one main dish, and the noodles are counted as one main dish.

[0041] For complex dishes spanning multiple culinary categories (e.g., curry rice, donburi), or meals such as those eaten out or packed lunches that combine staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, pickles, and soup, each dish is counted according to its respective culinary category. That is, for example, gyudon (beef bowl) is classified in the meal classification unit 12 as both a staple food and a main dish based on the dish name database. Therefore, when one person eats gyudon, the total number of plates calculation unit 13 counts it as one plate of staple food and one plate of main dish, in both culinary categories. For sweets, the number of times they are consumed per day is counted, not by the number of pieces. That is, if sweets are consumed between breakfast and lunch, and again between lunch and dinner, whether one piece or more are eaten at each snack, the consumption between breakfast and lunch is counted as one plate, and the consumption between lunch and dinner is counted as one plate, for a total of two plates per day. For alcoholic beverages, the quantity is not required, so the presence or absence of consumption is counted on a daily basis. In other words, for alcoholic beverages, days when they are consumed are counted as 1 serving, and days when they are not consumed are counted as 0 servings.

[0042] The average number of dishes calculation unit 14 calculates the average number of dishes consumed per day by the subject by averaging the total number of dishes. Since the number of days for which the meal information has been acquired by the meal information acquisition unit 11 is known, the average number of dishes calculation unit 14 calculates the average number of dishes by dividing the total number of dishes for each dish category by the number of days for which the meal information was acquired.

[0043] The subject information acquisition unit 16 acquires subject information about the subject. Subject information includes the subject's age, height, weight, BMI, whether or not they have family members living with them, whether or not they have diseases such as hypertension, and information regarding the need for support such as needing assistance or care. The subject information acquisition unit 16 acquires subject information entered by the user or the subject using the input device of the user terminal 2.

[0044] The meal evaluation unit 15 evaluates the meal balance of a meal pattern by comparing the average number of dishes with a preset ideal number of dishes that constitute a healthy meal. The meal evaluation unit 15 also evaluates salt intake, the frequency of confectionery consumption, and the frequency of alcoholic beverage consumption by comparing the average number of dishes for high-salt dishes, sweets, and alcoholic beverages with the ideal number of dishes. Furthermore, the meal evaluation unit 15 displays the evaluation results. Specifically, the ideal number of dishes that constitutes an ideal meal balance is preset for each dish category and stored in the memory unit 22. The meal evaluation unit 15 indicates the evaluation result of the meal balance of the meal pattern as a surplus or deficit of the average number of dishes compared to the ideal number of dishes. In this case, the ideal number of dishes may be set as 100%, and the surplus or deficit of the average number of dishes compared to the ideal number of dishes may be shown as a percentage.

[0045] Furthermore, the meal evaluation unit 15 can also individually score the balance of seven food categories excluding alcoholic beverages: staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, milk and dairy products, fruits, high-salt dishes, and sweets, and calculate a total score as the evaluation score for the balance of an individual's eating pattern. Specifically, the memory unit 22 of the server terminal 3 stores an evaluation score calculation table for calculating the evaluation score as shown in Figure 5. The evaluation score calculation table uses the ideal number of dishes as the basis for determining whether the number is appropriate, with the ideal number of dishes being worth 10 points, and points being deducted for excesses or deficiencies in the number of dishes. Note that the evaluation score calculation table does not provide evaluation points for excessive or insufficient intake of side dishes and fruits, which do not pose health problems even if consumed in excess, nor for high-salt dishes and sweets, which do not pose health problems if consumed in excess. The meal evaluation unit 15 compares the average number of dishes with the ideal number of dishes, calculates the score for each food category based on the evaluation score calculation table, and sums them up. The meal evaluation unit 15 then converts the total score, which is out of 70 points, to a maximum of 100 points and calculates it as an evaluation score for the meal balance of the subject's meal pattern.

[0046] Furthermore, the dietary evaluation unit 15 can also individually evaluate the amount of salt intake, the frequency of sweets consumption, and the frequency of alcoholic beverage consumption based on the subject information acquired by the subject information acquisition unit 16. For example, the dietary evaluation unit 15 can individually evaluate whether the salt intake is excessive for subjects with hypertension, or whether the frequency of sweets consumption is excessive for subjects who are obese.

[0047] The comment creation unit 17 creates guidance comments to improve the dietary balance appropriate to the subject's condition, based on the evaluation results from the dietary evaluation unit 15 and the subject's information. The storage unit 22 of the server terminal 3 stores a guidance comment database containing all of the commonly usable guidance comments shown in Figure 6. The comment creation unit 17 selects an appropriate guidance comment from the guidance comment database and creates a guidance comment based on the evaluation results from the dietary evaluation unit 15 and the subject's information.

[0048] Specifically, the comment creation unit 17, based on the surplus or deficit of the average number of dishes compared to the ideal number of dishes evaluated by the meal evaluation unit 15, proposes specific numbers of dishes to increase or decrease per day to achieve an ideal meal pattern for each dish category. Furthermore, the comment creation unit 17 proposes specific numbers of dishes to limit to high-salt foods in order to prevent hypertension, based on age or the presence or absence of illness. Additionally, the comment creation unit 17 selects and creates guidance comments from a guidance comment database, primarily focusing on enabling the individual to improve their diet themselves, taking into account factors such as the presence or absence of cohabiting family members or the need for support.

[0049] Furthermore, when the meal classification unit 12 subdivides staple foods for classification, the comment creation unit 17 selects and creates guidance comments from the guidance comment database, taking into account, for example, that if there is a lot of white rice, there is a tendency to also eat soup containing salt, and if there is a lot of ramen, there is a tendency for the main dish and side dishes to be less.

[0050] The recipe suggestion unit 18 proposes dish names or food names that are lacking in the target person's diet and should be recommended to improve their dietary balance, based on the evaluation results from the meal evaluation unit 15 and the target person's information. Specifically, the storage unit 22 of the server terminal 3 stores a dish attribute database that allows searching for dish names or food names that are recommended according to the target person's attributes. The dish attribute database indicates, for each dish name or food name, for example, the dish category, the age group to which it should be recommended (elderly, middle-aged, young, children, etc.), the ease of preparation, and whether or not pre-cooked dishes are available for purchase. The recipe suggestion unit 18 finds and proposes dish names or food names that belong to the dish category lacking in the target person's diet and should be recommended according to the target person's age group, or according to the target person's characteristics (age, whether or not they can cook for themselves based on whether they live with others or alone, whether or not they require support or care, etc.).

[0051] The control unit 21 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 21 controls the operation of the meal information acquisition unit 11, meal classification unit 12, total number of dishes calculation unit 13, average number of dishes calculation unit 14, meal evaluation unit 15, subject information acquisition unit 16, comment creation unit 17, recipe suggestion unit 18, and storage unit 22 by executing a program.

[0052] The memory unit 22 stores various information, data, and programs. The memory unit 22 is composed of ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory unit 22 stores a meal pattern evaluation program that evaluates the balance of meal patterns. The memory unit 22 also stores a database of dish names used in the meal pattern evaluation method, an evaluation score calculation table, a guidance comment database, and a dish attribute database. In addition, the memory unit 22 stores the dietary information of the subject.

[0053] Next, with reference to Figures 7 to 9, a method for evaluating the dietary balance of a dietary pattern based on the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the dietary pattern evaluation method according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a report output from the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another example of a report output from the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention. Each process of the dietary pattern evaluation method is executed by the dietary pattern evaluation program stored in the dietary pattern evaluation system 1. In the following, the case in which the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 and the dietary pattern evaluation program execute a series of processes will be described, but some steps of the dietary pattern evaluation method may be performed manually by a user such as a registered dietitian.

[0054] The subjects record information on their food intake for at least one week. Furthermore, when the user first uses the meal pattern evaluation system 1, and whenever there are changes to the subject's information, they input the subject's information using the input device on the user terminal 2. The entered subject information is stored in the memory unit 22 for each subject.

[0055] When the meal pattern evaluation system 1 is activated, a screen for inputting meal information for one week or more is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 2. The user inputs meal information for one week or more that the subject consumed. The input of meal information is performed by reading a record sheet containing meal information, inputting it using the input device on the user terminal 2, or scanning a photograph of the meal.

[0056] When meal information is entered, the meal information acquisition unit 11 executes a meal information acquisition step (S10) to acquire meal information for one week or more consumed by the subject. The meal information acquisition unit 11 transmits the acquired meal information to the meal classification unit 12 and calculates the number of days of meal information, indicating how many days of meal information the acquired meal information covers, and transmits the number of days of meal information to the average number of dishes calculation unit 14. The number of days of meal information is calculated from the date and time information attached to the meal information, such as the date and time of the meal. In addition, the meal information is accompanied by person information indicating which subject the meal information belongs to, and the meal information acquisition unit 11 transmits the person information about the subject from whom the meal information was acquired to the subject information acquisition unit 16. Upon receiving the meal information, the meal classification unit 12 reads the dish name database from the storage unit 22 and executes a meal classification step (S12) to classify the meal information into predetermined dish categories while comparing the meal information with the dish name database. The meal information classified into each dish category is transmitted to the total number of dishes calculation unit 13.

[0057] Upon receiving meal information classified into each cuisine category, the total number of dishes calculation unit 13 performs a total number of dishes calculation step (S14) by counting the number of meal information classified into each cuisine category to calculate the total number of dishes for each cuisine category. The calculated total number of dishes is transmitted to the average number of dishes calculation unit 14. Upon receiving the total number of dishes for each cuisine category, the average number of dishes calculation unit 14 performs an average number of dishes calculation step (S16) by averaging the total number of dishes based on the number of days of meal information received from the meal information acquisition unit 11 to calculate the average number of dishes consumed per day by the subject. The calculated average number of dishes is transmitted to the meal evaluation unit 15.

[0058] Meanwhile, when the meal pattern evaluation system 1 is activated and receives person information about the subject from the meal information acquisition unit 11, which has acquired meal information, the subject information acquisition unit 16 reads and acquires the subject information of the subject from the storage unit 22. The acquired subject information is transmitted to the meal evaluation unit 15, the comment creation unit 17, and the cooking plan proposal unit 18.

[0059] Upon receiving the calculated average number of plates and subject information, the meal evaluation unit 15 reads the ideal number of plates for a healthy meal, which is pre-set for each dish category, from the memory unit 22, and performs a meal evaluation step (S18) that compares the average number of plates for each dish category with the ideal number of plates to evaluate the meal balance of the meal pattern. The evaluation of the meal balance of the meal pattern shows the ideal number of plates for each dish category as a guideline, and also shows how many plates more or fewer the subject consumed. Furthermore, with the ideal number of plates set as 100%, the excess or deficit of the average number of plates compared to the ideal number of plates is shown as a percentage for each dish category. In addition, the excess or deficit of the average number of plates is scored based on the evaluation score calculation table, and an evaluation score is calculated and shown as the evaluation score. The evaluation results of the meal balance of the meal pattern are transmitted to the comment creation unit 17 and the dish suggestion unit 18.

[0060] When the comment creation unit 17 receives the evaluation results of the meal balance of the meal pattern and the subject information, it executes a guidance comment creation step (S20) to create guidance comments to improve the meal balance that are appropriate for the subject's condition, based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit 15 and the subject information. The comment creation unit 17 reads the guidance comment database stored in the storage unit 22 and selects an appropriate guidance comment from the guidance comment database based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit 15 and the subject information to create the guidance comment.

[0061] Furthermore, upon receiving the evaluation results of the meal balance of the meal pattern and the subject information, the cooking suggestion unit 18 executes a cooking suggestion step (S22) that proposes a dish name or food name to improve the meal balance that is lacking in the subject and that should be recommended to the subject, based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit 15 and the subject information. The cooking suggestion unit 18 reads the dish attribute database stored in the memory unit 22. Then, based on the dish attribute database, the cooking suggestion unit 18 selects and proposes a dish name and food name that belong to the dish category that is lacking in the subject based on the meal balance of the meal pattern evaluated by the meal evaluation unit 15 and that should be recommended to the subject based on the subject information.

[0062] Once the evaluation results for the meal balance of the meal pattern, guidance comments, and suggested dish or food names are available, the control unit 21 compiles the evaluation results for the meal balance of the meal pattern, guidance comments, and suggested dish or food names into a report as shown in Figure 8 and / or Figure 9, and displays it on the display device of the user terminal 2 (S24). The user and the subject review the displayed report and work to improve their meal pattern. [Examples]

[0063] Next, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 according to the above embodiment will be described in detail with reference to an example.

[0064] In this embodiment, we use the meal pattern evaluation system 1 of the above embodiment to calculate and evaluate the dietary balance of the subject's meal pattern based on the evaluation score calculation table shown in Figure 5. We then verify whether the results correlate with the total score calculated according to the procedure of the paper (K. Kurotani, et al: Quality of diet and mortality among Japanese men and women: Japan Public Health Center based prospective study, BMJ, 352:i1209(2016)) which demonstrated the validity of nutritional balance evaluated by the dietary balance guide of Non-Patent Literature 1.

[0065] In both Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the dietary information is the dietary information of 19 subjects over one week. In Example 1, the dietary information is the name of the dish or food item. In Comparative Example 1, the dietary information is the amount of food or dish and the frequency of food or dish consumption, obtained using the New FFQg (a standardized questionnaire asking about the amount and frequency of consumption of food or dishes). In Example 1, the evaluation scores for the 19 subjects were calculated using the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 of the above embodiment, based on the evaluation score calculation table shown in Figure 5. In Comparative Example 1, nutritional balance was evaluated using dedicated software for analyzing the New FFQg, and the evaluation scores were calculated based on the evaluation method described in the above paper (K. Kurotani, et al: Quality of diet and mortality among Japanese men and women: Japan Public Health Center based prospective study, BMJ, 352:i1209(2016)).

[0066] The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 and Figure 10. Table 1 shows the evaluation scores of the 19 subjects. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the correlation between the evaluation scores of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. In Figure 10, for each subject, a point is plotted at the intersection of the evaluation score of Comparative Example 1 on the horizontal axis and the evaluation score of Example 1 on the vertical axis.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] As shown in Figure 10, when evaluation scores were calculated for Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 based on the same dietary information of the same subjects, a linear relationship with a correlation coefficient of 0.7 was observed. In other words, there is a clear correlation between the evaluation scores when evaluating the dietary balance of the meal pattern using the present invention and when evaluating the nutritional balance using Non-Patent Document 1. This shows that dietary balance can be adequately evaluated without considering the weight of food and evaluating nutrients as in the conventional method.

[0069] As described above, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention records the name of the dish or the name of the food as meal information. Generally, many Japanese dishes have names that are common throughout the country, and the names often include the ingredients and cooking methods, so the dish names contain a lot of nutritional information. By recording meal information using such dish names and food names, subjects from children to the elderly can easily answer what they ate and when. Furthermore, since the meal pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention excludes energy intake from the evaluation target by utilizing the fact that energy intake can be evaluated from weight gain or loss, there is no need to ask for the amount of dishes and foods consumed, and meal information can be collected easily.

[0070] Furthermore, the meal pattern evaluation method of the present invention acquires meal information for more than one week from the subject. As described above, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention records the name of the dish or food item as meal information, thus significantly reducing the effort required to collect meal information. As a result, meal information for more than one week can be easily acquired. In addition, our lives usually follow a one-week cycle. The meal pattern evaluation method of the present invention uses meal information for one week, including weekdays and holidays, to evaluate the dietary balance based on the subject's average eating habits (meal patterns). In this way, instead of evaluating a part of a daily changing eating habit by taking a day or so as an example, the evaluation is based on meal information for one week, which is a long and typical life cycle, allowing for the evaluation of dietary balance and dietary guidance based on the subject's meal patterns.

[0071] Furthermore, in the meal pattern evaluation system 1 of the present invention, guidance on meal balance is indicated by the number of dishes indicating the excess or deficiency compared to the ideal number of dishes for each dish category. In the meal survey methods of Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1, interpreting the survey results required specialized knowledge of food composition tables or food weights, making it difficult for individuals to use them to improve their own diets. However, in the present invention, the dish categories are divided into categories that are easy for the subject to recognize, such as staple foods and main dishes, and are indicated by the excess or deficiency of the number of dishes for each dish category. Therefore, the subject can easily confirm, for example, which dish categories they are consuming in excess or insufficient, by visualizing it. This leads to intuitively understandable meal guidance and makes it easier to improve meal patterns. In addition, categories for high-salt dishes, sweets, and alcoholic beverages are provided in the dish categories, and the excess number of dishes in those categories can also be easily visualized. This makes it easier for medical professionals to instruct, for example, how many dishes of high-salt dishes should be reduced when salt reduction is necessary, and it is easy for the subject to understand.

[0072] Furthermore, the meal pattern evaluation method of the present invention scores the balance of a subject's meal pattern as an evaluation point, and enables guidance on meal balance by suggesting recommended dish names or food names. This can be used for purposes such as preventing malnutrition in elderly people living alone, preventing malnutrition in elderly people living at home (including those requiring support or care), preventing lifestyle-related diseases and illnesses in working adults, improving the eating habits of university students living alone, and supporting healthy eating habits in children.

[0073] Furthermore, the meal pattern evaluation method of the present invention presents evaluation results in an intuitively understandable way, such as the number of dishes, and the evaluation of changes over time is also easy by using evaluation points. This makes it possible for medical and welfare professionals to use it to guide residents and patients on the balance of their diets.

[0074] Furthermore, since the dietary pattern evaluation method of the present invention allows for easy investigation of the dietary patterns of the general population in Japan, it can be useful for local governments and researchers when conducting dietary surveys targeting groups.

[0075] Thus, the dietary pattern evaluation system 1 and dietary pattern evaluation method of the present invention can be widely used by people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and can also be used to improve the work of medical professionals and for researchers studying dietary balance. Its significance is great, and it contributes to people's health.

[0076] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0077] For example, in the above embodiment, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 and meal pattern evaluation method automatically perform tasks ranging from acquiring the subject's meal information to evaluating the balance of the meal pattern, creating guidance comments, and suggesting dish names or food names. However, the present invention does not necessarily have to be configured in this way. That is, the user may manually acquire the meal information and classify it into dish categories, and may also manually evaluate the balance of the meal pattern, create guidance comments, and suggest dish names or food names. If the user performs these tasks manually, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 does not need to have a configuration corresponding to the parts that the user performs manually. That is, if the user classifies meal information for more than one week's worth of meals consumed by the subject into predetermined dish categories and calculates the total number of dishes, and inputs the calculated total number of dishes for each dish category into the meal pattern evaluation system 1, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 may not have a meal information acquisition unit 11 and a meal classification unit 12, and the total number of dishes calculated by the user may be acquired by a total number of dishes calculation unit 13. Furthermore, if the user evaluates the balance of the meal pattern after calculating the average number of dishes, the meal pattern evaluation system 1 does not need to include the meal evaluation unit 15.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the recipe suggestion unit 18 selects a dish or food (recipe) to suggest from the dish attribute database based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit 15 and the subject information, but the present invention does not necessarily have to be configured in this way. For example, the recipe suggestion unit 18 may suggest a dish or food presented by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) model that has learned preferred dishes or foods for specific subject information (age, gender, BMI, disease, etc.) from information obtained via the network 4. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1. Meal Pattern Evaluation System 11. Department for Acquiring Food Information 12. Diet Classification Department 13. Total number of dishes calculation unit 14 Average number of dishes calculation section 15. Dietary Evaluation Department 16. Target Information Acquisition Department 17 Comment Creation Section 18. Recipe Proposal Department

Claims

1. A food information acquisition unit that acquires food information about meals consumed by the subject for one week or more, A meal classification unit that classifies the aforementioned meal information into predetermined dish categories, A total number of dishes calculation unit that calculates the total number of dishes for each of the aforementioned dish categories, An average plate count calculation unit calculates the average number of plates consumed per day by the subject by averaging the total number of plates, The system includes a meal evaluation unit that evaluates the balance of the meal pattern by comparing the average number of dishes with a preset ideal number of dishes that constitute a healthy meal, The aforementioned meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject. The total number of dishes calculation unit is a meal pattern evaluation system that calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category by counting the number of dish names or food names for each dish category.

2. The aforementioned food categories include staple foods, main dishes, side dishes, milk and dairy products, and fruits. The meal pattern evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the meal evaluation unit indicates the evaluation result based on the surplus or deficit of the average number of dishes compared to the ideal number of dishes for each dish category.

3. The aforementioned food classification includes at least one of the following categories: high-salt dishes, confectionery, and alcoholic beverages. The meal pattern evaluation system according to claim 2, wherein the meal evaluation unit also evaluates at least one of the following: salt intake, number of times sweets are consumed, and frequency of alcoholic beverage consumption, by comparing the average number of dishes in at least one of the categories of high-salt dishes, sweets, and alcoholic beverages with the ideal number of dishes.

4. A target information acquisition unit that acquires target information about the target person, The meal pattern evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a comment generation unit that generates guidance comments for improving the dietary balance to suit the condition of the subject, based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit and the subject information.

5. The meal pattern evaluation system according to claim 4, further comprising a meal suggestion unit that proposes dish names or food names that are lacking in the dietary balance of the subject and that should be recommended to the subject, based on the evaluation results of the meal evaluation unit and the subject information.

6. A method for evaluating meal patterns performed by a computer, A step to obtain dietary information about meals consumed by the subject for one week or more, A meal classification step of classifying the aforementioned meal information into predetermined dish categories, A total number of dishes calculation step for calculating the total number of dishes for each of the aforementioned dish categories, The steps include: calculating the average number of dishes consumed by the subject per day by averaging the total number of dishes; The system includes a meal evaluation step that compares the average number of dishes with a predetermined ideal number of dishes for a healthy meal to evaluate the balance of the meal pattern. The aforementioned meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject. The total number of dishes calculation unit calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category by counting the number of dish names or food names for each dish category, thereby determining the total number of dishes for each dish category.

7. A step to obtain dietary information about meals consumed by the subject for one week or more, A meal classification step of classifying the aforementioned meal information into predetermined dish categories, A total number of dishes calculation step for calculating the total number of dishes for each of the aforementioned dish categories, The steps include: calculating the average number of dishes consumed by the subject per day by averaging the total number of dishes; The computer is made to perform a process that includes a meal evaluation step, which evaluates the balance of the meal pattern by comparing the average number of dishes with a predetermined ideal number of dishes that constitute a healthy meal, The aforementioned meal information is the name of the dish or food item consumed by the subject. The total number of dishes calculation unit is a meal pattern evaluation program that calculates the total number of dishes for each dish category by counting the number of dish names or food names for each dish category.

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