Besides portion control, Italian culture plays a huge role in the success of the Mediterranean diet. Rarely do Italians eat on the go; meals are sit-down affairs that are — whether formal or informal — a social occasion. Food is often shared family-style, and sad desk lunches are unheard of.
Reason 1: Italians Eat Fresh Food
The first reason Italians are so healthy is that they eat food that is fresh. It's been that way for generations. Unfortunately, supermarkets are now slowly taking over the small, family-run shops which primarily dominated the market in previous times.
Obesity rates are low in Italy, relative to most OECD countries, but are very high among children. About 1 in 10 people is obese in Italy, significantly less than the OECD average of 1 in 6. More than 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women are overweight.
Italy is home to some of the best cuisine in the world. Food is deeply embedded into their culture and the classic Italian diet encompasses plenty of vegetables, olive oil, pasta, lean meats and fresh fish. This resulted in Italians having lower blood pressure and cholesterol than other developed nations.
Italy is the world's healthiest country, according to the CEOWORLD magazine ranking that uses data from the United Nations Population Division, the World Bank, the Lancet study, and the World Health Organisation, with Singapore coming at a close second.
Italians often go for a stroll after dinnner, so you do. Walking after dinner increases your metabolism and in turn, your body processes food faster. The energy used when walking after dinner burns up sugar produced by the body and this results in the production of chemicals that induce sleep.
Australia ranked 9th out of 21 countries with available data for the proportion of people aged 15 and over who were living with overweight or obesity (65%) – this was greater than the OECD average of 60%.
Aussie men are the second most obese in OECD countries - Aussie men have the second highest rates of obesity (32%) among 23 OECD countries, behind the USA (38%).
Japan's success in avoiding the obesity problem faced by most of the western world is down to three main factors: an appreciation of good food from cradle to grave, a lifestyle that encourages incidental exercise, and a large dollop of paternalism.
Italian food uses fresh, natural ingredients and the healthiest of fats, both of which have been found to be associated with lower levels of cancer, heart disease, inflammatory disease, and more.
The Mediterranean peninsula is one of the healthiest countries in the world and enjoys the sixth highest life expectancy worldwide as of 2020. Aging, as well as lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions, have a great impact on people's health.
Italians, French, Greeks, Spanish, Croatians, and Israelis all enjoy high life expectancy, and good health with overall fewer health problems than their American counterparts due to their very simple common sense approach to food and lifestyle.
They live with a sense that there will be time for everything. And this decreases the level of stress. Somehow even with their long siesta and with often being late Italians are not in a rush, and as a result they are much less stressed and happier than people in many other cultures.
In the 'health' department, Greek is in fact superior to all cuisines when considering nutritional and health benefits which lead to longevity as confirmed in many scientific studies. With fewer sauces and more vegetables than Italian, the Greek cuisine is very attractive to vegetarians as well.
Mediterranean diet
As the renowned medical journal Lancet points out, eating habits play a key role when it comes to Italians and longevity. A large part of the population can easily bring fresh and healthy food to the table, regardless of social status and income. This is what makes the difference.
The rise in obesity has been attributed to poor eating habits in the country closely related to the availability of fast food since the 1970s, sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in the labour workforce.
The biggest increases in excess weight gain are from childhood to early adulthood. Many Australians consume more energy than they need through unhealthy diets that are high in sugar, saturated and/or trans fats and alcohol.
Overweight and obesity
Tasmania had the highest rate of adults who were overweight or obese (70.9%), compared with Australian Capital Territory (64.0%) who had the lowest.
The situation in Australia
In Australia, 63.4 per cent of adults and 24 per cent of children are considered overweight or obese, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Australia is ranked fifth for obesity, with wider waistlines than countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland, but slimmer than Hungary, New Zealand, Mexico and the United States, which has an obesity rate of 38.2 per cent.
Italians eat the most pasta worldwide – about 60 pounds of pasta per person per year. Most Italians eat pasta every day but they keep their portions in check. A portion in Italy is about a cup and the meal includes a small portion of meat and a large portion of vegetables and salad.
If you've ever been to Italy, you've probably found yourself wondering how Italians eat so many carbs and stay so fit and healthy. The pastries, the pizza, the pasta, the bread.. carbs never seem to end in Italy! All these delicacies play such a huge part in the Italian diet and hedonistic Italian lifestyle in general.
02/7They follow a well-balanced diet
From protein to carbs to fat, a healthy Korean diet consists of all, but in a well-balanced form. Besides, Koreans are also very particular about portion sizes. They avoid overeating and also incorporate physical activity in their day-to-day routine.