Mayor Stefano Pisani Defends Mediterranean Diet in Pollica Against BBC Child Obesity Report

The BBC released an investigation linking the rise in child obesity in Italy to a decline in the Mediterranean diet. Stefano Pisani, mayor of Pollica – a UNESCO-recognised centre of the Mediterranean diet – responded, saying the real problem is the growing consumption of ultra‑processed foods, aggressive marketing and insufficient public‑policy protection, not the traditional diet itself.

Pisani cited data from the LAFA project, coordinated by the University of Salerno, which show that about 31% of children and adolescents in the Cilento area have a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with daily use of extra‑virgin olive oil, regular legume consumption and limited fast‑food intake. The municipality has introduced school meals based on Mediterranean principles, restricted new fast‑food outlets and called for legislation that would require producers of unhealthy foods to contribute financially to prevention programmes. He urged the BBC to visit Pollica to see the diet’s continued vitality.