HEALTH: there is alarm again for the abandon of the Mediterranean diet

Science shows that the Mediterranean diet makes life longer, but the Italians don’t assume this “medicine” against diseases. Coldiretti made out this news while commenting the studies published in the British Medical Journal and analysed by F. Sofi’s team, ( a nutritionist for the University of Florence ). In Italy the abandon of the Mediterranean diet is going on even in 2008 with a further decrease in the consumption of fruit ( - 2,6 % ), olive oil ( - 2,8 % ), bread ( -2,5 % ), wine ( - 0,9 % ) and vegetable ( - 0,8 % ) according to the data given out by ISMEA AC NIELSEN in the first six months. Coldiretti is making the project “Education to country” that involves over 100.000 pupils of the elementary and post-elementary schools all over Italy: they attend classes both in didactic farms and in the classrooms. The aim of this project is to make consumers aware of the right food and seasonality of products to give the Mediterranean diet more value. “A task to be supported even by the government”- Coldiretti concludes-“because it is important that the procedure of recognition of the Mediterranean diet as Unesco heritage is taken into the right consideration”.