Italians and diets, an obsession to abandon - Lifestyle

What is diet for Italians? A way to get back or stay fit, stay healthy, but also a cyclical burden for the often really limiting restrictions. Given that we should not talk about diet as a temporary exception, perhaps in view of summer, as it is also known that we generally recover weight once we stop starving if we can not keep the pace, the famous yo yo effect, it is good to talk about diet understood as a habitual healthy diet, oriented to the right amount, to the completeness of nutrients, to that little of everything that grandmothers said in wisdom to practice all year round, perhaps with some exceptions on special occasions. For those who do the temporary diet, the "free day" is expected practically all week, not surprisingly with a No diet day (May 6) to raise awareness against the obsession with weight that can become a real pathology, particularly dangerous for adolescents.
"The diet, as it is understood today, is very far from the original meaning of the Greek term diaita, which means lifestyle, while today it is unfortunately still rooted in the common imagination in the sense of restrictive regime or deprivation. When a patient, in the absence of pathophysiological needs that prevent it, tells me that in his private life he usually consumes pizza on a certain day of the week, but also poke or sushi or hamburger, it is absolutely not healthy to ban it, indeed it is necessary to introduce that food in a well-balanced way in the food plan.", says dott.sa Francesca La Farina, nutritionist Biologist and Consultant of the Luiss Nutritional Care project at Luiss Guido Carli University. Furthermore - continues La Farina -: "restrictive diets, built on calorie counts, are not only wrong from a scientific point of view and ineffective, but extremely dangerous for psychophysical health. It is not the exception that makes the difference but the daily routine that must therefore be included in a broader discourse of food education. So, welcome the day off, but always with moderation and balance".
The books that talk about diets are almost an editorial genre, each generous with advice, as proof of the current obsession, then there are those that dismantle them, such as the recent Diets and lies, an irreverent vademecum, to extricate themselves in the world of diets and eating well; a guide to defend health and the wallet, to learn about a world – that of food – now become prey to a ruthless and deceptive business, written by the correspondent of Piazzapulita Massimiliano Andreetta.
In a SWG report for Deliveroo, while the majority of respondents would like to exercise more and improve their appearance, only 1 in 2 feel they need to improve their nutrition. Young people are the most likely to change their lifestyle making it healthier and more careful, while for 1 Italian out of 3 diet is something that does not concern their daily life, for another third it means "trying without succeeding" and for 7% it represents, instead, a real nightmare. However, 19% of respondents said they follow a specific diet. Among the reasons that lead Italians to follow a certain diet include, above all, weight loss, the desire to eat healthily and feeling good about themselves. What makes diet and eating routine more enjoyable? For 1 Italian "on a diet" out of 2 it is precisely the infamous "free day", the one in which – always with balance and moderation – it is possible to eat what you want most. And what are the favorite dishes for a perfect "no diet day"? Simple, the 3 P: pasta, pizza and parmigiana!
All the evidence from the SWG research for Deliveroo
The three "P", Pizza, pasta and parmigiana at the top of the choices for the free
meal Among Italians who follow a diet, more than half (58%) say they can enjoy one day off a week, in which to eat their favorite dish. Which one? For 46%, pizza, especially the youngest for which the percentage rises to 73%. 29% choose a good pasta dish, 27% parmigiana.
Most Italians would like to do more physical activity to improve their appearance
According to research, one in two Italians would certainly like to eat better. 72% of Italians would like to perform more physical activity, especially those between 45 and 50 years old. 64% want to improve their physical appearance, a percentage that reaches 88% in young people between 18 and 24 years. Always this same age group (91%) would follow a diet to achieve greater self-esteem. Less than half of Italians would like to improve their diet (49%), with the exception of more young people who, for 76%, say they are not satisfied with their food plan.
The diet is a travel companion, especially for the very young For more than 1 Italian out of 4 (28%) the diet can become an excellent travel companion, especially for the very
young (37%). For 33% it is something not to give too much importance to. Only for 7% it is a reason for nightmare and obsession.
One in five Italians (19%) follows, more or less continuously, a diet. Of these, 41% obviously do it to lose weight, a percentage that in women rises to 50%. The motivation of "healthy eating" convinces 34% of respondents.
The personalized diets prescribed by the nutritionist prevail It is common opinion that it is essential to make use of the professionalism of an expert when it comes to diet: 39% choose the diet prescribed by a nutritionist
, while only 19% decide for the "do it yourself".
Food always evokes positive
feelings Every Italian associates food, flavor, the smell of a good dish with a sense of satisfaction and happiness that could not be satisfied with anything else. In fact, a good meal satisfies 57% and, for 28%, is a reason for real happiness.