Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
State of health in Japan - statistics & facts
Due to a broadly accessible health infrastructure and advances in the healthcare system, Japanese people have one of the highest life expectancy rates worldwide. The main causes of death in modern Japan are malignant neoplasms and heart diseases. For both men and women, the lungs and stomach represent the leading cancer sites. Such diseases can be caused by lifestyle-related risk factors, particularly smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, lack of exercise, and a poor diet. To prevent lifestyle-related diseases, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) enacted the basic health policy 鈥淗ealth 21鈥 in 2013, which sets concrete targets for various categories such as the body mass index.
