Mediterranean diet habits and body weight in Southern Italian teenagers

Only 9.1% of adolescents had high adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

• Boys had a higher prevalence of overweight (30.8%) and obesity (28.7%) compared to girls (25.4% and 18.5%, respectively).
• Higher vegetable intake is associated with a lower likelihood of being overweight or obese.
• Increased consumption of sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fast foods is linked to higher rates of overweight and obesity.
• Good adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 30% decrease in odds of being overweight or obese.
• An inverse relationship exists between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and body mass index, waist circumference, and fat mass.
• No significant relationship was found between diet adherence and blood pressure.

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