Chapter 3 - Mediterranean diet in children and adolescents

Abstract

Child and adolescent nutrition and healthy dietary patterns, especially the Mediterranean diet, have been linked to child and later life well-being and decreased child overweight and obesity prevalence. Studies have reported that children that have a low-quality diet as early as infancy have a high probability to continue to have poor-quality diet as they grow, have higher adiposity, and are at risk of developing advanced coronary artery plaques in adolescence. Improving diet quality and increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern characterized by nutrient dense foods including fruit, vegetables, fish, and whole grains, high in fiber and low in saturated fats, may improve health status during adulthood and may reduce risk of obesity in young people. The Mediterranean diet and its adherence have been associated with a decreased risk of various chronic diseases later in life such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. The aim therefore of this chapter is to discuss the nutritional adequacy of the Mediterranean diet according to children and adolescent dietary requirements, to explore associations of this dietary pattern with health concerns in these age groups, and finally to explore the adherence of children to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. We also discuss the effect of a combination of Mediterranean diet and physical activity on various health indices, and we explore the place of this dietary pattern in eras of economic crisis.