Even the Med is full of fatties

The Mediterranean way of life has long been hailed as the healthiest for brain and body and now it could be put on the world heritage list. But with Spain facing its own obesity crisis, should we really be bigging it up?

Spain – along with buddies Italy, Greece and Morocco – reckons the Mediterranean diet is so traditional and good for us that it should be put on the world heritage list.

But what exactly constitutes the Mediterranean diet?

It’s generally used, in a wavy-handed, vague manner, to describe seafood, grilled meat, olive oil and lots of leafy vegetables. In reality, the Mediterranean covers a huge area and widely ranging foods and local cuisine.

Kebabs, preserves, hams, stews… all could be included but not all are particularly healthy.

Spain, the ringleaders in the bid for world heritage recognition, consumes huge quantities of meat – certainly not all of it is grilled or steamed - plus fried fish, chips, processed, sugarry food and lashings of wine.

And, accordingly, the rate of adult obesity in Spain has doubled over the last decade. One in three kids in Spain (and Italy and Greece for that matter) are overweight, the highest number in Western Europe. Yes, even higher than in Britain.

It seems when we think of a Mediterranean diet, we’re harking back to a 1960s heyday of unprocessed fresh, local produce, just as would have been consumed in 1960s Britain. The more cash rich and time poor we are, the fatter we get. Whether we live somewhere sunny or not.

Source: Telegraph