The medical community has long extolled the health benefits of the famous Mediterranean diet..

From reducing the risk of peripheral arterial disease to preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus - it seems that this method of healthy eating can do anything.

Researchers have now found that children who eat this diet have a 15% lower risk of obesity..

Dr. Gianluca Tognon, an employee of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, together with his colleagues presented the results of a study of the Mediterranean diet at the European Congress on Obesity, which was held in the capital of Bulgaria.

Data from the IDEFICS study funded by the European Commission was included in their scientific work.. It contained information on eight European countries: Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Belgium, Estonia and Hungary.

The Mediterranean diet is based on increased consumption of plant foods, including vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts. This nutrition plan provides for the consumption of at least 2 times a week fish or poultry, and also strictly limits red meat - no more than 2-3 meals a month.

One of the essential components of the lifestyle that should accompany this healthy diet, experts call physical activity, a positive emotional attitude and following a nutrition plan with the whole family.

For a deeper study of the impact of the Mediterranean diet on children's health, scientists conducted a survey of the parents of those guys who participated in the European study.. Parents filled out a specially designed questionnaire, which should indicate how often their children eat each of the 43 listed foods.

Researchers measured body weight, height, waist, and body fat from eight countries, and conducted a telephone interview with some parents.

Swedish children most often follow a healthy diet. Next, the team created a score system that measured children's commitment to the Mediterranean diet.. They gave 1 point for the regular consumption of each healthy dish included in this diet - fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, etc..

In addition, scientists added 1 point for restricting harmful foods such as red meat or fatty dairy products..

After calculating the amount of points, the researchers identified the children with the largest amount in the group of “especially committed” to the Mediterranean diet, after which they took their parameters and compared with the rest.

Among eight European countries, children from Sweden, as it turned out, most often adhere to the Mediterranean diet. Surprisingly, the least popular such diet was in the heart of the Mediterranean - in Cyprus.

The results showed that children who are most committed to the Mediterranean diet have a 15% lower risk of obesity and overweight.. They have an average of 10-15% lower body mass index (BMI), lower waist volume and body fat percentage compared to children who prefer fast food.

The team notes that their results were independent of gender, socio-economic factors and the country of residence of the participants.

Dr. Tognon says he was surprised at the wide variation across geographic regions: “The Mediterranean diet is no longer popular in the Mediterranean countries themselves. Given the potential benefits of this diet for the prevention of obesity, this nutrition plan should be part of the EU's anti-obesity policy, and should be implemented more intensively in countries where its popularity is lowest. ”.

In 2013, the medical publication Medical News Today reported that a Mediterranean diet, according to recent studies, can prolong life.

medbe. ru.