32nd BAB Meeting Discusses the Landscape of Preventive Medicine to Preserve Wellness

On January 24, the 32nd Business Advisory Board (BAB) Meeting was held at the Tokyo American Club. Under the leadership of Vice Chair of the Board of Councilors Masaaki Tanaka, USJC (Japan) welcomed Professor Tomoaki Kato (Columbia University), a renowned multi-organ and liver transplantation surgeon, as the featured speaker. His presentation, “Preserving Wellness: Navigating the Landscape of Preventive Medicine,” attracted 50 business leaders and seven Next Generation leaders, including TOMODACHI Initiative alumni and interns.

Prior to the keynote speech, participants Board of Councilors Member Kazuo Hirai (Sony Group Corporation), Masago Minami (THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN) and Hidemi Moue (Japan Industrial Partners, Inc.) delivered short remarks, which encouraged networking among the participants.

During the keynote speech, Dr. Kato discussed a case study of the rapid increase in colon cancer patients among Japanese people in recent years, noting that the increase in cancer is due to the westernization of their diet, particularly regarding meat. He emphasized the importance of maintaining physical, cognitive and cardiac functions in order to prevent disease and pursue overall health. As examples of concrete methods to solve these issues, he advocated the “360 Screening,” which focuses on early detection of organic illnesses and potential risks due to functional impairment, and “DASH,” a dietary approach to prevent hypertension. Dr. Kato concluded the presentation by emphasizing the importance of reevaluating and proactively managing one’s lifestyle in order to maintain good health and prevent disease and cognitive decline.

Nao Shibanoki (TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program ‘19) said, “This event helped me to reaffirm my will to empower others by making them believe that they are capable of achieving anything, just like the event participants did for me.”