Mediterranean diet ‘becoming less popular’ in countries of its origin

A diet that is currently in vogue with social media users may be becoming less popular in the countries where it originated.

That’s according to a study by the Department of Neural Sciences at Philadelphia’s Temple University in the United States.

Based on the traditional eating habits of people from southern European countries such as Italy and Greece, the Mediterranean diet includes a high volume of fruit and vegetables, as well as fish, olive oil and whole grains. It generally discourages processed foods and red meat in large volumes.

Now, there is evidence that the diet is declining in the countries of its origin due to lifestyle shifts and the ‘Westernisation’ of eating habits.

Actor Stanley Tucci – star of this year’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 – has emerged as an unwitting ‘poster boy’ for the Mediterranean diet after film fans noted how he didn’t appear to have aged since the first movie.

Tucci enjoys light lunches such as canned tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, basil, and olive oil. He has shared several of his culinary creations online, including Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes baked with 100% pure maple syrup.

Speaking to the Medical Express platform, Professor Domenico Praticò, who produced the review, explained:

“The Mediterranean diet has long been considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns available. Its decline in the Mediterranean region itself raises significant concerns for future public health.”

Praticò highlighted a higher rate of metabolic diseases and obesity increasing as a potential result of the diet slowly disappearing from countries in the Mediterranean basin. He called for public health strategies to reverse the trend, with the objective of avoiding long-term economic and public health consequences.