Dr. Terry Shintani’s Contribution to the World

Dr. Terry Shintani is a medical doctor that has obtained a degree of Nutrition from Harvard University. He has devoted his career in serving Hawaiian community which has a high rate of obesity. His mission was to "conquer Hawaii's health problems, one meal at a time." In 1992 he received a National Award - the United States Secretary of Health and Human Service’s Award for Excellence, recognizing his promotion of health and welfare in the Hawaiian community.

What was truly inspiring about the health program conducted by Dr. Terry Shintani is that it was conducted without external funding. He said that when he knocked on doors for help with the project, he was trying to create a budget to see how much funding we needed.  Instead, so many people offered help, free rental space, food and everything they needed, and they did not have to raise additional funds.  When the project won a national award, and he presented it at the NIH, he had to declare the funding sources to disclose any potential conflict of interest.  And there is a gasp in the audience when Dr. Shintani declared that it was an unfunded project.”

Also Dr. Terry Shintani was also designated as a “Living Treasure” in 2006 in Hawaii because of his community service in various fields such as medicine, law, traditional arts, and cultural preservation. "It is a real humbling experience," Dr. Shintani said when designated as a Living Treasure of Hawaii. He said that most of these people who are this year's honorees have spent many more years in their careers than him. And he have spent his career serving the community and to uplift Hawaii's status as a healthy place.

Dr. Shintani made the program not just for the Hawaiian community but he strived harder to reach out to the world. He also said on his “Peace Diet” book that the people all around the globe is the reason this book was written.  It is in his hope that it will inform and inspire people to choose the path to health, success, happiness and peace. Dr. Shintani also hope to contribute to the movement promoting world health and world peace, one person, one spirit at a time.