Live 2:30-4:30 PM Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle: A Symposium on Diet and Human Health: October 19, 2018
Reporter: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.
2:30 Mediterranean Diet, Intangible Heritage and Sustainable Tourism?
Prof. Fabio Parasecoli, PhD.
Nutrition and Food Department, New York University
We focus on more of the cultural aspects and the relevance of this diet to tourism in Italy where there is a high rate of unemployment. The diet is interesting from a touristic standpoint as the diet have the perspective of the different ingredients inherent in Italy. The mediterranean diet food pyramid totally different than US. How do we explain to consumers these medical concepts; for example in China, Germany they are using different ways to explain the benefits of this diet.
A Cultural Formation
- a way of life, for tourism there is the way of life people want to adopt (easiest way to do this is go to the Mediterranean and learn the lifestyle)
- so for example Olive Garden for marketing purposes sent a few chefs for half a day training so the image of learning to cook in the mediterranean diet style can be very powerful communicative tool
- 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding the Culturing Heritage: protecting landscapes but then decided to protect other intangible heritage like oral, language, oral traditions like transmitting recipes, social and festive events (how do we cook how do we grow tomatoes, wheat etc)
- UNESCO: promoted France Gastronomic, Mediterranean Diet, and traditional Mexican Cuisine (Mayan)
- defined Greece, Italy, Morroco then included Cyprus Crotia and Portugal in the Mediterranean diet
- has it been used for promotion: no UNESCO did not use this since does not safeguard the culture
- (gastrodiplomacy); like Korea and kimchie; included in the list of cultural cuisine but can create tourist bubbles as you tourism places like hotels don’t always use; for reasons of economy or safety or accessibility , local food
- Centrality of Territorio: food consumed from tourist should come from the area
Sustainable Tourism: a form of tourism where have the intention to get to know the place;
have to think in three ways
- environmental
- social
- cultural
how do we make a circular economy so no waste; for example certain companies using food waste to make other products
Tourism clusters made of many groups; he is working on a way to jump start these networks in Nigeria;
Sustainable Food Supply Chain Tourism can be used as way to engage people and promote the diet
Question: are there regions where people are not adopting the diet because of taste, preferences
Yes there is always a problem with accessibility, affordability, trade issues and regional acceptance. For instance in Australia a big push back against the Mediterranean diet. Medical professionals need to work with communication experts and media experts in developing ways to communicate the benefits since “no one wants to be preached at” and “as economies get richer people want to be more modern and try new things”
In Nigeria we are working with many different industries like transportation, engineers, the IT industry and chefs to build a scalable model
3.00 Italy as a Case Study: Increasing Students’ Level of Awareness of the Historical, Cultural, Political and Culinary Significance of Food
Prof. Lisa Sasson
Nutrition and Food Department, New York University
Started a program at NYU to understand food from a nutritionist and historical point of view as a cultural heritage in Italy, but when students came back students mentioned it changed their food shopping habits
they described diet as wine, pasta, and olive oil
Artisional Production: understanding the taste and flavor; she wanted them to learn about the food culture and educate their tastes
Food Memories: how we pass on recipes and food aromas, food tastes. The students were experienced food in a unique way for the first time, experiencing what cheese, quality oil other foods when fresh tastes like. Artisional foods may be expensive but need only a little of it because the tastes and flavors are so potent due to the phytochemicals
Within six months students:
- increased consumption of weekly wine consumption with meals
- increased consuming satisfying meals
- increased time consuming meals
In the womb the fetus is actually acquiring sense of taste (amniotic fluid changes with mother diet; can detect flavor chemicals)
Student Perceptions after a study Abroad Program
- eating foods local and seasonal
- replacing butter with quality olive oil
- using herbs
- very little sugar
- unsweetened beverages
- limiting red meats
- fish a couple of times a week
- dairy in moderation
- no processed foods
Eating and Dining for Americans is a Challenge: The students ate well and satisfying meals but ate alot but did not gain weight
3:30 Italian Migration and Global Diaspora
Dr. Vincenzo Milione, PhD
Director of Demographics Studies, Calandra Institute, City University of New York
for a PDF of this presentation please click here: sbarro handout.
Dr. Millione used the U.S. Census Bureau Data to estimate the growth of the Italian diaspora descendants in host countries in the Americas and to determine the mixed global ancestry of Italian descendants.
- Italian emigration to the US happened in two waves
- Wave 1: early 1900 peaking between 1901 and 1911 (turn of century)
- Wave 2: 1951-1971 (post WWII)
This pattern was similar between North and South America although South American had first Italian immigration; in 1860 we got rid of slavery so many jobs not filled new orleans
Developing a mathematical model of Italian diaspora: the model is centered on the host country population dynamics but descendants are separated into first generation and multi generation
Model dependent on:
- birth and death rates
- first generation population growth
- multi generational population growth
- emigration from host country over time
He was able to calculate an indices he termed Year of Italianization Change (YIC): the year the growth of the multi generation supercedes the first generation immigrant population
| Country | Year of Italianlization Change (YIC) |
| Brazil | 1911 |
| Uruguay | 1915 |
| Argentina | 1918 |
| USA | 1936 |
| Venezuela | 1963 |
| Canada | 1968 |
| Australia | 1988 |
note: as a result there is an increasing loss of language and traditional customs with host country cultural adaptation among the native born descendants
In addition, over the last 20 years Italian-American population growth demonstrates that Italian-American self-identity in the United States has increased. The census data identified two ancestries of the respondent. In mixed ancestry Italian-American respondents to the extent they identify Italian first demonstrating the strong Italian-American identity.
The foreign born Italian Americans mirror the immigration pattern of Italian immigration from Italy until 1980 where more Italian Americans self identify as foreign born in other countries and not in Italy
Summary
- over 5 million Italians have emigrated from Italy from 1980 to present
- most went to North and South America but many went to other global countries
- the Italian immigration to the different countries in the Americas varies over the period of mass emigration when the growth of multi generational Italian descendants is greater then first generation Italians (Year of Italianization Change) goes from 1911 in Brazil to 1988 in Australia
- Immigrants to the USA was not just from Italy but from almost all nations globally over all geographical continents
- Italina immigrants descendants greatly grew after 1930 with appreciable increase with other ethnicities such that 61% of Italian Americans are mixed ancestry in 2014: to date mixed ancestry represents 98% of Italian Americans
- younger italian americans more likely to have mixed ancestry with Central and South America, Asian and African ethnicities
over time during immigration eating habits has changed but more research is needed if and how the italian recipes and diet has changed as well
4:15 Conclusions
Prof. Antonio Giordano, MD, PhD.
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