A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of a Healthy Diet: The Mediterranean Diet as a Case Study.

Background: There is increasing evidence of the multiple effects of diets on public health nutrition, society, and environment. Sustainability and food security are closely interrelated. The traditional Mediterranean Diet (MD) is recognized as a healthier dietary pattern with a lower environmental impact.

Nutrient intake in Italian infants and toddlers from North and South Italy: the Nutrintake 636 study.

We performed a cross-sectional study to compare the intake of energy, macronutrients, fiber, sodium and iron and the anthropometric status of infants and toddlers living in North (Milano) and South Italy (Catania). Nutrient intake was evaluated using a 7-day weighed food record. Out of 400 planned children aged 6 to 36 months, 390 (98%) were recruited, 189 in Milano and 201 in Catania.

Environmental and economic sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been proposed as a healthy dietary pattern for disease prevention. However, little information exists on the cost and on the environmental impact of such a dietary model. We compared the environmental impact and the costs of the current food consumption pattern of the Italian population and the Mediterranean model in order to investigate its overall sustainability.

A cross-sectional survey on dietary supplements consumption among Italian teen-agers.

Introduction: In the last decades, dietary supplements consumption has increased in the Western world for all age groups. The long-term potentially dangerous effects related to an indiscriminate consumption of dietary supplements are still unknown and are becoming a matter of public health concern. Therefore, the aims of the present study were: to explore the contribution of dietary supplements to micronutrient daily intake, and to evaluate awareness and knowledge about dietary supplements.

Eating habits and dietary patterns in children with autism.

The children with autism have feeding problems such as chewing, preference for the same food that often are responsible for the nutrient imbalance. In this study, we have analyzed the differences in food consumption (food frequency) and eating behavior (CEBI test) between children with autism and their typically developing peers. A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups for the consumption of milk, yogurt, pulses, rice, and fruit juices (p ≤ 0,005).

How to estimate fat mass in overweight and obese subjects.

Background. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing and represents a primary health concern. Body composition evaluation is rarely performed in overweight/obese subjects, and the diagnosis is almost always achieved just considering body mass index (BMI).