Around 50 percent of men in their 20s through their 40s have at least one enjoyable meal in the company of other people every day, according to a national nutrition report released Thursday by the health ministry.

The percentage of men in their 20s who have at least one enjoyable meal per day that lasts at least 30 minutes and is eaten in the company of one or more people stood at 49.9 percent, according to the national nutrition survey for 2000 conducted by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

The corresponding figure for men in their 30s came in at 55.9 percent, while that for men in their 40s came in at 56.4 percent.

The percentage of women enjoying meals of this description on a daily basis was higher than that of men in each age bracket apart from the 70-or-older category, according to the survey.

Women in their 20s came in lowest at 66.6 percent, it shows.

Meanwhile, several male respondents said they do not pay particular attention to the nutritional value of their meals, according to the survey.

Dietary fiber and calcium ranked highly among the nutrients prioritized by women, but 37.7 percent of men said they do not pay much attention to these nutrients, the survey shows.

The percentage of men who said they do not think about the nutritional composition of their food was consequently higher than that of women, according to the survey.

It was the first time that the annual survey quizzed individuals on their awareness of dietary issues.

A separate survey conducted by the ministry shows that men in their 30s and 40s are experiencing aggravated health conditions with obesity and cholesterol levels on the rise.

This indicates that important eating habits aimed at combating lifestyle-related diseases have been neglected.

Some 12,271 people responded to the survey, which was conducted in November last year. Responses on dietary habits were received from 10,384 people age 15 and older.