Diet News
Mediterranean Myth
Monday, 9 March 2009
One of the most widely documented diet has been the Mediterranean diet, always getting praised for longtivity and health benefits. Ever asked yourself what on earth are they putting into their good old olive oil?
The traditional Mediterranean diet, high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish and low in meat and dairy products, combined with healthy polyunsaturated olive oil and antioxidant red wine, was promoted as the optimal diet...that’s right…’WAS’.
The traditional Mediterranean diet, high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish and low in meat and dairy products, combined with healthy polyunsaturated olive oil and antioxidant red wine, was promoted as the optimal diet...that’s right…’WAS’.
When you imagine Mediterrenean diets you think of happy italian families sitting outside at a beautiful set table full of olives, tomatoes and fresh produce, enjoying life. Yet here is the big fat truth we haven’t been told. 42.5 per cent of Italian men and 26.6 per cent of Italian women are overweight and 10.5 per cent and 9.1 per cent respectively are obese. It gets worse, Mediterranean children are ranked not much below Britain, which was top of the charts, according to a survey last year by the International Association for the Study of Obesity. This survey showed that one third of Italian children 6-9 years old are overweight or obese and of the older ones (10-13 years) 25.4 % are overweight. Italians are matching up with the rest of the world’s obesity epidemic with child obesity tripling by 2025, according to the Italian Obesity Society.
So it seems the good old recommendation of sticking to a Mediterranean diet is well and truly battling its last days.
It seems the traditional Med diet is being replaced by western fast foods. Sadly, not even the Italians are following it and are opting for a burger over their olive oils, salad and Mamma’s freshly made pasta. Just like the rest of the world, convenience and fats pace lifestyles have led to less traditional food and traditions.
Additionally, inactivity is to blame as much in Italy as in Australia. Machines are taking over hard working field workers but food consumption is just as high as what generations ago used to eat, when energy expenditure was higher as what it is now. Not only that but attitudes are changing amongst children with less children engaging in activity, in ad outside of school. Unfortunately, only 20.9 % are currently active doing some sort of sport and only 28.2 % are physically active in any sort of way. A shocking 39.8 % engage in no physical activity at all.
Up until now, Italy has fought hard to resist the 21st century blitz of technology, convenience and fast food in order to preserve its culture of history, culture and tradition. Sadly, Italy too is being drawn into the obesity epidemic.
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You can have anything in the lunch and supper