Adherence to Mediterranean diet: a public health paradox

Abstract

Diet plays a fundamental role in our life starting from the earliest stages and throughout each phase of our existence. One diet that has garnered considerable attention in recent years is the Mediterranean diet. Named after the geographical region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, which includes areas Greece, Spain and Southern Italy, it is one of the healthiest diets in the world since it is associated with significant lower risks for several non-transmissible chronic diseases. Despite this overwhelming evidence, recent data show a significant decrease in the popularity of this diet in the very countries that are considered the cradle of it, which is associated with an increase in metabolic diseases and obesity. Paradoxically, this diet is gaining more followers in countries that geographically are not part of the Mediterranean basin. This “Mediterranean diet paradox” highlights the urgent need for coordinated public health strategies aimed at correcting or reversing this shiftwithin the Mediterranean region itself to avoid the long-term economic and public health consequences.