Food patterns and health problems: health in southern Europe

The health status description refers to 7 countries of southern Europe, i.e. Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Yugoslavia and Greece, and is mainly derived from official mortality data. In general the health status of southern European countries, as related to the adult population, seems satisfactory and improving along the last 10-15 years in spite of the adverse trends of some diseases. As compared to central, northern and eastern European countries, the southern ones enjoy relatively low mortality and morbidity rates from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases in general, from lung cancer, from large bowel cancer and all-causes mortality, whereas they suffer from strokes and liver cirrhosis at relatively high rates. An exception is made by Yugoslavia where trends in death rates from cardiovascular diseases and all-causes mortality are definitely increasing like it has happened in eastern Europe during the last 20 years. Data from official mortality records are supported by information on incidence, mortality and risk factor distribution derived from population studies like the Seven Countries Study, the Erica and the Monica Project.