The World's Healthiest Diets

Is the American diet really so bad that t's time to look to other countries for help? The short answer is "Yes". That's the premise behind a spate of recent books touting all kinds of crazy diets. The latest entrant is The Five Factor World Diet, by celebrity trainer and author Harley Pasternak. The author noted that other countries, where the people were slimmer and healthier were eating a different diet than we Americans.

Pasternak's book lists countries with healthy diets that also have long life expectancies and low obesity rates. Japan tops his list because it has a 1.5% obesity rate (for men) and an 82 year life expectancy, vs. a 36.5% obesity rate and a 78 year life expectancy in the U.S. South Korea, China and Singapore also do well. France makes the list with a 6.6% obesity rate and an 81 year life expectancy, as do Italy, Spain and Greece.

What virtually all these countries have in common are low fat diets rich in fish, lean protein, vegetables, fruits and beans. Most of the countries in question practice portion control Although they indulge in high fat cheeses, cured pork and condensed milk coffee drinks, they rarely overindulge. It really comes down to common sense. As my mother always said to me, whether it was about alcohol, food, work or play, everything in moderation. Good advice.

The one exception, says Pasternak, is the Mediterranean diet, high in olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. A 2008 meta-analysis of 12 studies of 1.6 million subjects found that people who stick closely to the Mediterranean diet had a 9% lower death rate than people who ate the same diet less stringently. It is not yet clear what specifically makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy, but many scientists think it has to do with more fruits and veggies and less red meat.

So let's try to learn something from those that are healthier and living longer than us. The Asian countries have the lowest obesity rate, so that's where I'm looking. Lots of fruits and vegetables, some grains and a little bit of fish or chicken. All in moderation. That's the key.