Obesity and the Mediterranean Diet: A Review of Evidence of the Role and Sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract

Several different socio-economic factors have caused a large portion of the population to adopt unhealthy eating habits that can undermine healthcare systems, unless current trends are inverted towards more sustainable lifestyle models. Even though a dietary plan inspired by the principles of the Mediterranean Diet is associated with numerous health benefits and has been demonstrated to exert a preventive effect towards numerous pathologies, including obesity, its use is decreasing and it is now being supplanted by different nutritional models that are often generated by cultural and social changes. Directing governments’ political actions towards spreading adherence to the Mediterranean Diet’s principles as much as possible among the population could help to tackle the obesity epidemic, especially in childhood. This document intends to reiterate the importance of acting in certain age groups to stop the spread of obesity and proceeds with a critical review of the regulatory instruments used so far, bearing in mind the importance of the scientific evidence that led to the consideration of the Mediterranean Diet as not just a food model, but also as the most appropriate regime for disease prevention, a sort of complete lifestyle plan for the pursuit of healthcare sustainability.

Mediterranean Lifestyle to Promote Physical, Mental, and Environmental Health: The Case of Chile

“…Since MedDiet involves significant home food preparation, time scarcity may be an important barrier to its implementation, particularly at low socioeconomic levels. Furthermore, cooking has been historically assigned to women, and there is an overall trend to a reduction in this household activity as women increasingly work outside the home [ 114 ]. This situation thus could be a potential barrier to change food habits and is an issue needing attention.…”

Food Insecurity and Major Diet-Related Morbidities in Migrating Children: A Systematic Review

“…Unhealthy eating habits can undermine healthcare systems. Obesity starting from infancy will probably continue throughout adulthood, and lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, which have a strong impact on our healthcare systems [98]. There is solid evidence that programs of screening and interventions could be effective to improve the health of migrant children [99,100].…”

Improved Nutritional Knowledge in the Obese Adult Population Modifies Eating Habits and Serum and Anthropometric Markers

“…Consumers could control consumption with an appropriate strategy such as using different low-calorie and non-calorie sweeteners as a tool to reduce the sugar and calorie content of foods and beverages [46]. These changes could define the diet as being more healthy from the cardiological perspective [17].…”

“…One of the diets with the strongest evidence for weight loss in obese people is the Mediterranean diet, which also reduces cardiovascular risk and mortality. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables, cereals and monounsaturated fats (primarily from olive oil), a moderate consumption of poultry, fish and dairy products, and little to no consumption of red meat [17,18].…”