ROME, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Many in the world are trying to adopt the Mediterranean diet for better health, but Italians are moving more toward fast food and ready-to-eat food.
The Mediterranean diet that includes pasta, fresh vegetables, fish and olive oil, has been known to help prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer, but only 10 percent of Italians still use traditional ingredients and methods, ANSA reported Friday.
"The value of the Mediterranean diet was scientifically proven back in the 1950s with the famous Seven Countries Study," said Antonio De Lorenzo, professor of nutrition and food at Rome's Tor Vergata University. "It's therefore fundamental that we push for a serious campaign to revive the Mediterranean diet."
De Lorenzo wants a national campaign to lure Italians back to traditional cooking.
