“Health is a condition of complete physical, mental and social well-being of the individual.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that health and food (both of which are fundamental human rights) are closely linked. In other words, the health of the world populations, regardless of their living conditions, is greatly influenced by how much and what they eat. And the problem does not concern poor countries only: quite the contrary. Thanks to the gradual lengthening of the average life span, it is more necessary than ever to guarantee a (long) healthy life to all people. It is obvious, on the other hand, that without good health it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory quality of life. And (good) health does not depend only on medicines, but above all on the application of better methods of prevention: a balanced lifestyle and thus a correct diet, have a central role in causing, slowing or preventing the development of diseases.
The validity of the food traditions in Mediterranean countries is universally recognized: a diet rich in fresh foods and based on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, seafood, grains and their derivatives, prevents the insurgence of cardiovascular diseases. This would suffice, according to the WHO, to save three million lives every year.
Unfortunately, the process of globalization has changed the pace of life and facilitated the introduction, even in Mediterranean countries, of much less balanced eating styles that multiply the risks of insurgence of the main chronic pathologies.
In this view, research, information and advertising play a fundamental role in generating a new “culture of prevention”, that is an integral part of all our lives.