European Congress on Obesity Finds Mediterranean Diets Decrease Number of Overweight Children

At the 21^st Annual European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria, a group of researchers from eight European countries presented a study that found that children who regularly eat a Mediterranean diet decrease their risk of being overweight.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, along with others from Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Belgium, Estonia, and Hungary conducted their research using data from the Identification and Prevention of Dietary - and lifestyle - induced health effects in Children and Infants (IDEFICS) study. Their findings could be applicable to the worldwide obesity epidemic.

In late May, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation released new data that found 188 countries across the globe since 1980 have been unable to stabilize obesity rates. As a result, 2.1 billion people, which is nearly 30% of the world's population, are either obese or overweight. This epidemic is not only a serious public health issue, but it also incurs excessive costs on health care systems in these countries. The study, "Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013," was published in The Lancet on May 29.

And now the European Congress on Obesity comes to the rescue. Between May 28-31, meetings were held in Bulgaria to address the health issue throughout the European countries. Led by Dr. Gianluca Tognon of the University of Gothenburg, the study's researchers interviewed parents of children from the previously listed countries and they were asked about their child's consumption of 43 different foods. The children's weight, height, waist circumference, and percent body fat mass were also measured.

A Mediterranean diet typically consists of vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and cereal grains, compared to other diets comprised of dairy and meat products. Children who were found to consume high amounts of Mediterranean-like diet foods were then compared to others who did not. The researchers found that children who reported an increased consumption of Mediterranean-like diet foods were 15% less likely to be overweight or obese than children who ate other foods or had a low adherence to Mediterranean foods.

"The promotion of a Mediterranean dietary pattern is no longer a feature of Mediterranean countries," said Gianluca Tognon, in this University of Gothenburg news release, where you can read more about the research. "Considering its potential beneficial effects on obesity prevention, this dietary pattern should be part of EU obesity prevention strategies and its promotion should be particularly intense in those countries where low levels of adherence are detected."