Economic Feasibility of a Project for the Reuse of the Old Hospital of Nicotera as a Center for Eating Disorders and for the Enhancement of the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract

The Mediterranean Diet is recognized as a healthy diet by studies conducted by Ancel Keys on various population samples, including that of Nicotera, in Calabria. In 2010, the Mediterranean Diet was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Intangible Heritage List. Since then, however, this recognition has not been sufficient to produce significant effects in terms of enhancing the territory. The study illustrated in this article aims to verify the economic feasibility of a project which, through the creation of a Center for Eating Disorders and a Botanical Garden dedicated to the Mediterranean Diet, contributes to triggering the development processes of the territory centered on the enhancement of this cultural heritage. The project combines health services, such as the Center for Eating Disorders, with cultural services for tourists and for educational purposes, such as the Botanical Garden.