METI-sponsored IT-based Health Program Gets Takamatsu,
Kagawa Residents into Shape

～Keeping Communities Fit Project～

The Kagawa Health Support Team, a consortium of six organizations that includes Konami Sports & Life Co., Ltd., Kagawa University Hospital, Co-op Kagawa, Japan Walking Association, Mitla Co., and Yano Research Institute Ltd., will launch the Keeping Communities Fit Project. The project, to be implemented in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture and areas nearby, will leverage information technology to help local residents stay fit and healthy.

The project was originally proposed by the consortium and adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry under its Community-based Comprehensive Health Service Industry Creation Project. The project is designed to deliver health management convenience to community residents via IT-based services.

1.The Description of Project

①Joint IT-based Program Linking Sports Club with Medical Institutions
Target:	People who have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and patients with mild diabetes as well as potential diabetic patients
Enrollment:	60 people
Period:	Two months from December 2009 to January 2010
Description:	Medical institutions will work together with Konami Sports Club Takamatsu to share data that will used to help program participants effectively improve their health. ・ Program participants will be divided into four groups and receive exercise and diet instructions. ・ The partnering organizations include medical institutions in Takamatsu City and Konami Sports Club Takamatsu. ・ Physicians will monitor the exercise records of program participants and provide them with individual advice specifically tailored to their needs. Konami Sports Club instructors will develop optimal exercise programs based on input from the participating medical doctors. ・ Program participants will receive a series of health examinations before and after the program to assess its overall efficacy.

Group name	Size	Description
Healthy Diet & Exercise Course	16 people	Participants will work out twice a week at the sports club and receive dietary instructions from a dietitian.
Healthy Exercise Course	16 people	Participants will mainly work out twice a week at the sports club.
Healthy Diet Course	16 people	Participants will mainly receive dietary instructions from a dietitian
Fitness for You Course	12 people	Participants will set their own goal and work toward the goal through exercising and dieting.

②Walking Promotion Program
Target:	people living in Takamatsu City, and those who commute to school or work in Takamatsu City
Enrollment:	5,000 people (estimated)
Period:	Three months from mid November 2009 to February 15, 2010
Description:	The program is designed to prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as metabolic syndrome. Participants will be provided with pedometers to keep track of the number of steps they have walked and calories consumed as a way to improve their health. ・Participants will have their body composition measurements taken at the start of the program and immediately before the end of the program to assess its overall efficacy. ・Physicians will assist participants along the way with specific advice in regard to their body composition measurements. ・Participants will be able to input the number of steps they have walked using their home computer or any of the terminals to be installed throughout the city. ・The program makes the road to health and fitness fun with the “Virtual Shikoku Pilgrimage,” a digital program in which participants visit 88 temples in Shikoku. ・Participants will be awarded 1 point, worth 1 yen, for every 1,000 steps they take. The points can be used to charge their IruCa card, an IC card ticketing system used by the local Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad’s train and bus services.

2.Consortium Members and Their Roles

Konami Sports & Life Co., Ltd. (lead organization)	Operational management and system development
Kagawa University Hospital	Develops methods to coordinate services between medical institutions and the sports club in addition to hosting events
Co-op Kagawa	Publicity (to its members), and distribution of pedometers
Japan Walking Association	Provision of walking-related information
Mitla Co.	Medical content development
Yano Research Institute Ltd.	Analysis of walking program participant survey results

The Kagawa Health Support Team plans to hold a briefing session to report on the outcome of the project in March 2010.