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Project Topic
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Recently a syndemic combination hit dramatically the populations worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has developed on top of the chronic metabolically-related non-communicable pandemic (obesity, cardiovascular diseases). During lockdowns and social restrictions, the health status of people has deteriorated by increasing diagnostic delay, cardiometabolic risk and tumorigenesis. This has underlined the urgency of ensuring access to affordable healthy diets and lifestyles. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a dietary pattern rooted in the cuisine of Mediterranean countries such those involved in the proposal (Italy, Portugal, Lebanon, and Tunisia). The MD not only refers to eating habits, but it is a cultural model involving the way through which foods are selected, produced, processed, distributed, and UNESCO recognised the MD as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. Association of MD with reduced appearance of metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases and cancers, and its low environmental impact were established. The MD foods promoting health include local and traditional vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, olive oil and seafood. In the Mediterranean basin, two dietary/health problems exist: (i) the high prevalence of risk of non-communicable disorders co-exist with some macro- and micronutrient deficiencies; (ii) individual choices influence food security and the population's health and nutrition (climate change, ecosystem health, environment sustainability). The modern lifestyle shifted dietary habits of Mediterranean regions towards highly processed takeaway (“junk”) food, containing hypercaloric, sweet, salted unhealthy ingredients, but with easy and quick access, being often arranged as a ready-to-eat box/bag. Unhealthy diets together with physical inactivity are risk factors for chronic non-communicable disorders. Tailored strategies based on a correct healthy diet and education/information are crucial to improve the quality of life. Our proposal aims to help the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles through implementing a B4HT combining in “a Box” tangible healthy food plus the APP iFoodMed. We envision a ready-to-use meal as lunch-box, easy-to-make, easy-to-cook, easy-to-export, easy-to-find (locally), eco-friendly, culturally sound, and nutritionally adequate. Because adoption of the MD outside the Mediterranean region entails difficulties relevant to cultural differences, lifestyles, poor education, higher cost, our box could make available a healthy MD to all european citizens. B4HT will address both healthy and metabolically-unhealthy populations. We will enrol 450 adults among the countries participating the study (33% healty normal-weighty and 67% obese/overweight people). Through validated approaches, we will analyse the dietary pattern of both cohorts to target the best lifestyle intervention. Based on dietary habits, we will provide specific B4H not containing animal proteins in favour of low-processed and pre-assembled local, biodiverse, and sustainable plant-based products (legumes, whole cereals), added of healthy accessible and attractive Mediterranean ingredients (dried fruit and/or vegetables, spices). The box will be developed to be used in an affordable and smart way. Several combinations of ingredients will be tested/implemented to obtain boxes that meet the nutritional recommendations, but also the sensorial acceptability. B4HT will be supplied with a smart APP (iFoodMed) providing tailored information and guidelines and a link to participate in online surveys toll make easier adoption of MD and lifestyles. iFoodMed will act as a “virtual nutritionist” making possible an easy access to diet and lifestyle notion. In both healthy and unhealthy people, we expect a better adherence to the MD resulting in health ‘risk’ and obesity rate reduction. The economic impact of B4HT on preventing h morbidity and mortality will be calculated by specific algorithms.
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