By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Popular items in the New Year's resolution would be to quit smoking, drink less and exercise more, but they all sound easy but hard to do. The health concerns seem to continue with various efforts to be made in 2008.
``Most of all, I'd like to stay healthier. I hope I can lose some weight,'' office worker Lee Kyu-jin in Seoul said.
^To go on a diet, the effort to consume as little trans fats as possible seems to be very crucial.
After the harmful effects of trans fats were reported last year, all food products have to indicate the level of trans fats and also only those with a level of 0.2 percent or less can be sold while being promoted as trans fat-free product from this month.
Such regulations came as the government aims to encourage manufacturers not to use trans fats in foods. Using trans fats in children's food will be banned by 2010.
There will be also restrictions on the use of medicines to prevent side effects.
Antifebriles, also known as antipyretics, a class of drugs that reduce fever, will be banned from over the counter sales for use on babies under one from next year.
Also, parents of children under two years old have to first consult a pediatrician and get a prescription for the commonly used cold medicine for their children.
With the importance of precautionary measures emphasized, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will also set a new system to provide free regular medical checkup services to those between 40 and 66.
Even to evaluate general medical services, the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service will release a regular report on the performance of top hospitals as a guideline enabling patients to choose their medical institute.