Mediterranean diet pyramids: towards the Italian model

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Cultural Anthropology
• Public Health

Background:

• The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid has a long history of cultural and culinary evolution.
• Various national pyramids (Greece, Spain, Italy) exist, reflecting diverse food habits and non-standardized portion sizes or consumption frequencies.
• The 3rd CIISCAM Conference emphasized biodiversity, nutritional well-being, and sustainability of the Mediterranean diet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the biodiversity, nutritional value, and sustainable benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
• To address the erosion of traditional Mediterranean lifestyle and food habits.
• To propose a broader concept of a Mediterranean Lifestyle that includes diet, physical activity, social engagement, recreation, and rest.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing Mediterranean Diet Pyramid representations and their cultural adaptations.
• Discussion of findings from the 3rd CIISCAM Conference.
• Conceptualization of a Mediterranean food lifestyle index for holistic assessment.

Main Results:

• Mediterranean Diet Pyramids are culturally specific and lack standardization.
• There is a need to move beyond diet alone to a comprehensive Mediterranean Lifestyle.
• A Mediterranean food lifestyle index could assess holistic aspects and correlate with health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid's evolution reflects cultural adaptation but highlights a lack of standardization.
• A holistic Mediterranean Lifestyle, encompassing diet, physical activity, and social factors, is crucial for health.
• Developing a Mediterranean food lifestyle index is a potential avenue for assessing overall well-being and its impact on morbidity and mortality.