Is the Mediterranean diet in danger?

Save your money, expand your waistline

For our intercultural seminar's final project, I am hoping to investigate the topic of health as it relates to children and schools. This is something I find extremely interesting, as we have discussed the effects of globalization and the U.S. many times in class. The link between Spain and our homeland is easily visible and seldom forgotten, as we are reminded of America every time we pass McDonald's or are served french fries for lunch. While many families succeed in preserving the traditional healthy Mediterranean diet, others succumb to busy schedules and picky eaters, following the example of their American counterparts. The question is, is the Mediterranean diet really in danger of extinction? And if so, what can we do about it?

Recent studies and statistics that I have found point to the tendency of children to follow the Americanized diet, shunning the Spanish trend of high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables; moderate consumption of dairy products, fish, and wine; and low consumption of meat. Instead, they reach for sugary drinks, snacks with a higher fat and calorie content, and processed foods. I know that in my own household, I was surprised at the amount of hot dogs, hamburger, french fries, and fried food in general that my host mother offers her children. Additionally, more and more children and adults in Spain are becoming obese or overweight, thanks to the acceptance of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Sound familiar?

A model of the new food pyramid, which includes exercise as a key component

To me, it seems obvious that if measures are not taken to reassert the Spanish culinary identity, the Mediterranean diet may become a thing of the past. Although we have heard from our professors here that places like McDonald's are "for kids" and that in general Spaniards don't take such companies seriously (that is, as an actual component of Spanish food culture), who do you think is going to form the next generation and be responsible for feeding their own children? That's right - those teenagers you see chowing down on Whoppers at Burger King across the street.