Quality and life expectancy are directly linked to proper nutrition and adequate physical activity. But what can we say about proper nutrition and sufficient physical activity in Greece? To this question, speaking to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Dr. Ioannis D. MorresPhD, assistant professor at the University of Thessaly, School of Physical Education, Sports and Dietetics, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Trikala.

As a Mediterranean country, Greece, he says, has a temperate climate, abundant annual sunshine and, by extension, an abundance of native food products such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, olives, legumes, etc. These products form the basis of the Mediterranean Diet , which protects our cardiovascular health, reduces the possibility of cancer, regulates our weight, and generally brings about a series of documented health benefits. The temperate climate and abundant annual sunshine also facilitate the realization of the additional structural element of the basis of the Mediterranean Diet, i.e. the daily 30-minute physical activity of moderate intensity, at moderate intensity the respiratory rate increases, without “taking our breath away”.

In the midst of these advantages due to our Mediterranean “root”, let’s see how much we fulfill and benefit from the Mediterranean Diet. Regarding levels of physical activity, the scientist emphasizes, a recent study by the Eurobarometer shows that more than two out of three Greeks carry out either insufficient levels of physical activity or a purely sedentary life. Regarding our eating habits, researches converge that approximately one in two adults records an unsatisfactory rate of adoption of the Mediterranean Diet. Also, the Eurobarometer reports that one in two Greeks is overweight or obese, the percentage of overweight is higher than the average European percentage, while the percentage of obese is at the average European percentage [ανάμεσα σε 27 χώρες]. Thus, the most common cause of death for adults in Greece, he explains, is ischemic heart disease, closely followed by stroke, that is, diseases that the Mediterranean Diet can have a prophylactic and therapeutic effect. It is also noteworthy that the World Health Organization ranks children and adolescents in Greece as among the most obese in the world. In short, the numbers are grim but potentially reversible thanks to the arsenal called the Mediterranean Diet.

But what could explain this grim situation? Trying to understand with an explanatory mood, we can say that this gloomy situation, according to Mr. Morre, involves multifactorial causes that relate to general social and economic conditions, but also to more specific conditions such as school and lifelong education.

More in detail, according to Mr. Morre, the dramatic drop in the gross national product and the decrease in incomes over the last 12 years have either significantly affected or impoverished part of Greek society, which has turned to lower nutritional options in terms of cost and quality. In the same context, a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders or negative emotions of a subclinical nature was recorded, which by definition causes a lack of interest and an inability to take care of oneself, i.e. causes, among other things, a sedentary life and problematic dietary choices. Notably, mental disorder or negative emotion are inextricably linked to a decline in psychosocial functioning (even of a disabling nature, i.e. unemployment), increasing the multidimensional problem of correct nutritional, and not only, possibilities and choices, the scientist also emphasizes.

Also, according to him, the Greek, like the global community, was burdened by the social distancing measures in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while the psychosocial “fallout” remains to be studied in a sequence of time. For example, in a study of 1,000 teenagers during the coronavirus quarantine in Greece (social distancing measures), half of the teens reported poor psychological well-being that potentially required psychiatric evaluation for possible major depression. It is also a given that Greek society is experiencing an increase in the cost of goods and services in the midst of the current energy crisis, which increases the difficulty or difficulty of implementing a Mediterranean Diet, i.e. the adoption of quality nutritional options as well as quality physical activity.

In addition, the quality of education in Greece is below expectations and contemporary challenges, as a recent international study assessed the Greek education system as a low-quality system with students who do not always possess basic knowledge and skills. Living in the era of the digital revolution, the educational system for students as well as lifelong learning programs for adults need a corresponding improvement to promote the Mediterranean Diet as a health behavior.

This improvement may include the increase of qualitative and quantitative educational intervention with extensive programs of Nutritional Education and Health Education at all educational levels, focusing on the legacy of the Greek territory, namely the Mediterranean Diet. For example, introduction of extensive educational interventions that, among other things, will systematically cultivate tangible and up-to-date basic knowledge about the importance of the Mediterranean Diet in human health and the sustainability of the environment, about the necessary proportion/quantity of nutrient intake, for the human energy expenditure based on height, weight, age and physical activity, and to decode our physical/psychological symptoms during the process of food intake and digestion. Educational interventions could also further develop learners’ ability to properly prepare/preserve their food, know the preparation/importance of healthy snacks and frequent meals, read and interpret the identity of food products as it appears on packages or described in relevant references [πχ, τρόπος παρασκευής, θερμίδες, ποσοποιοτικές πληροφορίες περί λίπους, υδατάνθρακα, πρωτεΐνης, κτλ].

The introduction of a systematic and extensive educational intervention can also, according to assistant professor Ioannis Morre, aim for the students to develop behavioral modification skills, the development of a sports consciousness, internal motivation for daily physical activity characterized by pleasure and the value assessment of health and not for its own sake the shapely “silhouette”. Also, it can aim to identify and correct incorrect sports and nutritional preferences, to prevent the formation and realization of food craving and sports craving patterns, to communicate the influence of emotions on our food choices, to cultivate empathy in terms of “managing” our emotional health, in the awareness of the situation called emotional hunger, in the emotional de-blame-desensitisation in case of periodic or temporary inability to adhere to the Mediterranean Diet, etc.

In conclusion, concludes assistant professor Ioannis Morres, we are invited to activate the Mediterranean Diet as a weapon in order to optimize our lives in the context of an organized and privileged state.