Toward a Mediterranean-style diet beyond the Mediterranean countries: Evidence of implementation and adherence
Authors: Tsofliou, F., Theodoridis, X. and Arvanitidou, E.I.
Pages: 129-138
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-818649-7.00014-X
Abstract:Mediterranean diet (MD) has been proposed as an eating and lifestyle pattern that encompasses numerous health and environmental benefits. Current research focuses on how a Mediterranean-style diet can be adopted by populations outside the Mediterranean region in an effort to abolish well-established and adverse health effects of a Westernized dietary pattern. Overall the existing experience of testing the implementation of MD in non-Mediterranean populations has shown high adherence rates (around 90%) and promising effectiveness of the MD in improving age-related vascular and cardiometabolic health. However, adopting the MD outside the Mediterranean region entails difficulties relevant to cultural differences, changing established behaviors, lack of education, or increased cost. Future high-quality research in implementation of MD in non-Mediterranean populations should involve different population groups across the life span, investigate the sustainability of MD adherence and health effects in the long term, include disease end points for populations at risk, and above all obtain a clearer insight into the behavioral barriers to dietary change.
Source: Scopus