Last week the New York Times ran a great article about what's happening to the Mediterranean: Fast Food Hits Mediterranean; a Diet Succumbs. The article quotes a pediatrician who is now seeing diet-related illnesses: obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
Small towns like this one in western Crete, considered the birthplace of the famously healthful Mediterranean diet - emphasizing olive oil, fresh produce and fish - are now overflowing with chocolate shops, pizza places, ice cream parlors, soda machines and fast-food joints.
The fact is that the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with longer life spans and lower rates of heart disease and cancer, is in retreat in its home region. Today it is more likely to be found in the upscale restaurants of London and New York than among the young generation in places like Greece, where two-thirds of children are now overweight and the health effects are mounting, health officials say.
How very sad. Not only because of the health effects but also for the cultural treasure they are losing if they lose their traditional diets. I can't imagine that if the diet goes, the system of food production will be far behind. That goes beyond health consequences, also hurting the environment and the economy. |
