The Mediterranean diet is all the rage because it represents a lifestyle that we have lost

The promise of a long, healthy, happy existence with an active, community-oriented lifestyle under warm, sunny skies may be within reach. In fact, it could be right on your table.

The Mediterranean diet has been included on the UNESCO list List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010The diet not only has guaranteed cultural value, it is also a powerful strategic tool for promoting food products such as olive oil.

Often cited for its health benefitsThe Mediterranean diet was first described in a 1953 book book about CreteAt the time, people were surprised by the low incidence of cardiovascular disease among the inhabitants of this Greek island, compared to Northern Europeans.

This diet based on olive oil promotes, among other things, consumption of fresh foods, seasonal fruits and vegetables and whole grainsIt embodies the essence of the Mediterranean lifestyle, according to UNESCO’s definition:

“The Mediterranean diet encompasses a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions related to crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, preservation, processing, cooking and especially the sharing and consumption of food. Eating together is the basis of the cultural identity and continuity of communities throughout the Mediterranean. It is a moment of social exchange and communication, an affirmation and renewal of the identity of the family, group or community.”

But what does the Mediterranean diet say about us as a society, beyond its impact on our health? Could it be a symptom of something?

As a postdoctoral researcher at the École des sciences de la gestion of UQAM, my research lies at the intersection of heritage and tourism studies, nutrition and mental health.

In 2021 I did the following: field research in Cilento (Italy), Soria (Spain) and Marseille (France), where I looked at the attachment of the inhabitants to the Mediterranean diet. I listened to their stories and tried to understand the local and social dynamics that play a role in the Mediterranean diet concept.

A reflection of a deep social crisis

The concept of the Mediterranean diet refers to a lifestyle that strengthens social relationships and is good for your health. It sounds simple and coherent.

However, the society we live in makes the work of providing for these basic needs more complex. health and social dimensions of the Mediterranean diet are considered highly desirable, as they represent a balance that is lacking in globalized societies.

Claude Vissera sociologist of human nutrition, describes the multidimensional crisis of the food system in modern societies.

According to him there is a psychopathology of daily eating going on. This is characterized by “appetite disorders, bulimia attacks, anxious or compulsive snacking, etc.” Think of the consumption of ultra-processed foods or ready-made and frozen meals, which are eaten in the evening in front of the TV or during the lunch break behind the computer.

In this psychopathological perspective on food, which also reflects a societal crisis, mechanisms for cultural (and in this case food) reactivation appear. The rush to the Mediterranean diet is a reflection of this societal crisis, because it is the opposite of our way of life.

The inclusion on the UNESCO list has made the Mediterranean diet a prestigious ‘monument’ of Mediterranean cuisine.

This food culture has been mythologized and become part of our heritage after undergoing a transformation. irreversible erosion process of food production and consumption systems in the Mediterranean.

‘Gastronativism’: politics on the plate

The culinary arena is one of the best places to express the fears and anxieties of contemporary life.

Fabio Parasecolia food studies researcher, describes the fears caused by globalization as gastronativism“the ideological use of food in politics to promote ideas about who belongs to a community (however that is defined) and who does not.”

Gastronativism is thus a political tool that offers ‘a sense of rootedness, comfort and security’ in the face of perceived decline (climate change, wars, pandemics, globalization).

The Mediterranean diet is part of this gastronomic approach and represents a lifestyle that one can adopt.

Different Meanings of the Mediterranean Diet

We often hear about the Mediterranean diet from institutions and academics. What we don’t hear much about are the perspectives of the communities that practice this way of life.

My field research in 2021 focused on understanding the different ways the Mediterranean diet is defined, described, understood and experienced depending on the community.

In Cilento, the Mediterranean diet is synonymous with ‘lifestyle’. It is part of the local identity and a reference to the wider socio-cultural sphere (‘our lifestyle’, as the locals say).

In Soria it embodies a ‘nutritional model’ and in terms of health: the most used adjectives to describe it are ‘healthy’, ‘beneficial’ and ‘health-conscious’.

In Marseille, the term “diet” conjures up images of fasting, deprivation and abstinence, while the term “Mediterranean” refers to organic, seasonal and healthy food. The reference here is more to the food industry.

A socio-cultural seismograph

Whether it is understood as a nutritional model, a way of life or an example of intangible heritage, the Mediterranean diet represents a way out of a system (social, nutritional, economic, ecological) in crisis and in constant search of reference points.

Seismographs are instruments that record and measure earthquakesThe Mediterranean diet is like a ‘sociocultural seismograph’, allowing us to record the vibrations, that is, the changes that are taking place in contemporary society and that cultural (and dietary) practices are facing.

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