What about the Italian Diet?

Italy has a lot less fast food chains than the U.S. and you will not find a Starbucks. Salads are not served with dressings and no butter is served with bread (only olive oil and balsamic vinegar).  And, from our observations, Italians seem to eat at a more leisurely pace. Maybe this contributes to improved quality of life and is associated with lower stress levels?

Italians also have a different portion size for pasta (and food in general) than Americans as outlined in this LA Times Article

“When it comes to eating pasta, Italians are very measurement conscious. And it’s a very easy formula to follow: 100 grams (3-1/2 ounces) or less of pasta per person. It is never a heaping portion like one you would expect in the States.”

In general a single portion of fresh pasta in Italy is around 100 grams not the 300 or 400 grams you see in most Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.

Speaking of portion size, this sign says it all. The restaurant owners are clearly appealing to American tourists. “Big Portions, Low Prices.  XXL Burger and fries”.

Unfortunately, Americans are accustomed to being served big portions at cheap prices.
We know that when immigrants move to the U.S. from different countries, their health becomes worse, and it is largely attributed to the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet).

Since we were mostly in the tourists zones, I was curious to see how a typical Italian family eats for the week. To answer this question, I discovered this fabulous website called Hungry Planet.  There are lots more pictures of food consumption from around the world on their site, that are worth checking out.

Food consumption for a week in Unites States – What stands out for you?

Food consumption for a week in Italy – What stands out for you?

Calories, Sugar and Fat Intake

Based on the Indicator data posted at the beginning of the newsletter, it looks like Italians eat about the same amount of calories a day as Americans. And, they even consume a little more daily fat than Americans.  This redirects our attention to the quality of the food calorie.  As we know, not all calories are created equal. Maybe the Italians are eating healthier calories?

Sugar Consumption – Special attention

Italians consume half the amount of sugar as Americans (14 tsps a day for Italians vs 30 tsps a day for Americans). Is added sugar a surrogate indicator of the U.S. consumption of less nutritious and more processed foods? Is all this sugar affecting the health of our gut microbiome and contributing to decreased longevity and increased obesity? 

According to the World Health Organization, added sugar intake should be limited to less than 5% of total calories or less than 6 teaspoons a day.

Even though Italy exceeds this recommendation, their sugar consumption is less than half of the U.S.

Built Environment

Access to Water –  with meals, most Italians order water or wine.  And, in Rome, there are an abundance of water fountains where you can fill up on fresh and tasty water.

Getting around – many of the streets are closed off to cars, which made walking more appealing.  Plus, shops, groceries stores, and cafes are often within walking distance.

Given limited parking space, many Italians chose to get around via bikes.  Cars are used during the weekend for get aways.

What can we learn from our Global Community?

America is facing an obesity and diabetes epidemic. Even Italy is struggling with an surge in childhood obesity.

What can we learn from our global community to help us develop strategies to improve our food and living environments?
How can Americans decrease sugar consumption, eat more fresh and whole foods and become more active? 

Americans have experienced success. We smoke a lot less than Italians and other many other countries. How can we apply this success to other health issues?
These are pressing questions that deserve all the energy we can muster. If we continue at this pace, the next generation of children may not outlive their parents.

Readers, we would love to hear from you. Have you seen strategies that work in your community?  Please email us your ideas, so that we can share with our diabetes community and become part of the solution.

Visiting Italy helped me see the world from a new and fresh health perspective.  It re-sparked my belief that we can make significant changes, on an individual and public level, that will move us all toward better health.