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This article explores why some Greek immigrants to Australia continue to adhere to a traditional Mediterranean diet whereas others have adopted eating behaviors characteristic of a less healthy “Australian” diet. Twelve qualitative interviews were conducted and comparisons made between individuals consuming more (n = 6) and less traditional diets (n = 6). The level of adherence to the diet was previously assessed by a diet score in a separate quantitative study (MEDIS-Australia) from which the subset of 12 participants for the present study was recruited. Analysis revealed that maintenance of a strong ethnic identity offers a pathway through which individuals retain dietary practices of their homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is evidence in Australia that 1st generation Greek Australians (GA), despite their high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (e.g. obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, smoking, hypertension, sedentary lifestyles) continue to display more than 35% lower mortality from CVD and overall mortality compared with the Australian-born after at least 30 years in Australia. This has been called a ‘morbidity mortality paradox’ or ‘Greek-migrant paradox’. Retrospective data from elderly Greek migrants participating in the International Union of Nutrition Sciences Food Habits in Later Life (FHILL) study suggests that diets changed on migration due to the: (i) lack of familiar foods in the new environment; (ii) abundant and cheap animal foods (iii) memories of hunger before migration; and (iv) status ascribed to energy dense foods (animal foods, white bread and sweets) and ‘plumpness’ as a sign of affluence and plant foods (legumes, vegetable dishes, grainy bread) and ‘thinness’ as a sign of poverty. This apparently resulted in traditional foods (e.g. olive oil) being replaced with ‘new’ foods (e.g. butter), ‘traditional’ plant dishes being made more energy dense, larger serves of animal foods, sweets and fats being consumed, and increased frequency of celebratory feasts. This shift in food pattern contributed to significant weight gain in GA. Despite these potentially adverse changes, data from Greece in the 1960s (seven countries study) and from Australia in the 1990s (FHILL study) has shown that Greek migrants have continued to eat large serves of putatively protective foods (leafy vegetables, onions, garlic, tomatoes, capsicum, lemon juice, herbs, legumes, fish) prepared according to Greek cuisine (e.g. vegetables stewed in oil). Furthermore, GA were found to return to the traditional Greek food pattern with advancing years. We suspect that these factors may explain... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First generation Greek-born Australians (GA) are one of the longest lived populations in the world, despite unfavourable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, poor self-rated health and functional disabilities. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to draw attention to the morbidity mortality dissociation using national health and mortality statistics along with supporting data from smaller studies; and to formulate a 'morbidity mortality paradox' hypothesis by re-examining recent and distant past food intake data and lifestyle habits from a study of 104 Greeks in rural Greece, 189 GA and 140 Anglo-Celtic Australians aged 70 years and over. The analysis suggests that the more frequent use of energy dense foods such as sweets and animal foods high in saturated fat (especially in the first 20 years in Australia), plus changes to meal patterns, serving sizes, cooking practices, physical activity and siesta habits may have had a significant impact on the development of obesity, diabetes and CVD in GA. Possible dietary factors contributing to the longevity of GA include: the proportionately high intake and variety of plant foods relative to animal foods; the tendency to return to the traditional Greek food pattern in old age; and the continued high intake of mono-unsaturated fats, n-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals (e.g. lycopene and flavonoids) from the wide variety of plant foods consumed. In particular, the retention of certain putatively protective foods (e.g. fish, legumes, leafy greens, onions, garlic, tomatoes, melons, herbs, olive oil, grapes and wine) may have helped to make the CVD risk factors 'benign'. The influence of Greek cuisine (e.g. vegetables cooked or served with olive oil) on the bio-availability of certain phytochemicals requires further investigation. Possible mechanisms are briefly examined since further studies are needed to substantiate the hypothesis formulated. (Aust J Nutr Diet 1999;56:97-107). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the beneficial health effects of the Greek diet. Investigation of the elderly Greeks' dietary habits; Values of food consumption in rural Greece; Value of daily nutrient consumption; Comparison of mortality rates with the Americans and the Europeans.

In 1987, the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) subcommittee on Nutrition and Ageing, in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) global program for the elderly, embarked on the 'Food Habits in Later Life' (FHILL): a cross-cultural study to determine to what extent health, social and lifestyle variables, especially food intake, collectively predict survival amongst long-lived cultures. A total of 818 participants aged 70 years and over were recruited from five IUNS centres. Mortality data were collected after five to seven years. The cohorts included Swedes in Sweden (SWD), Greeks in Greece (GRS) and in Melbourne, Australia (GRM), Anglo-Celts in Australia (ACS) and Japanese in Japan (JPN). Information was obtained on health, lifestyle and diet at baseline. A Cox Proportional Hazard model containing ten potential predictors of survival, adjusted to age at enrollment and ethnicity/locality, was developed to analyse the survival data. Based on up to seven years survival data, it was found that being an elderly Greek in Australia conferred the lowest mortality risk and being an elderly Greek in Greece conferred the highest mortality risk. When the ten potential predictors of survival were entered into the Cox model, the memory score, the Mediterranean diet score, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and general health status scores showed the greatest effects in significantly reducing mortality hazard ratios by 22%, 13%, 4% and 4%, respectively. For diet score, a one-unit change predicted a significant 13% difference in survival. Of the lifestyle (modifiable) variables entered in the multivariate model, exercise and social activity were not significant predictors of survival suggesting that diet is a more important predictor of survival than these variables. Another lifestyle variable, smoking, significantly increased mortality hazard ratios by 67%, making it a more important predictor of survival than diet. Being male (non-modifiable) also increased risk of death by 63%. Diet, particularly the Mediterranean Diet, operates irrespective and together with other factors as an appreciable contributor to survival, with a strength comparable to or greater than all other measured variables. The independence and strength of the predictiveness of food pattern for survival, and for this to be cross-cultural from Europe to Asia is a novel and important observation for food and health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Healthy aging levels are significantly affected by the place of residence • Personal lifestyle choices are significantly related with higher successful aging • Greeks living abroad were aging more successfully than Greeks living in Greece • Greeks abroad follow the Mediterranean lifestyle more than Greeks living in Greece • Greeks living in Greece have mostly abandoned the Mediterranean lifestyle Comparing lifestyle and successful aging between Greeks living in Greece (GG) and Greeks living abroad (GA) using a multidimensional model of successful aging including both biomedical and non-medical components. Anthropometric, clinical, psychological, socio-demographic, dietary and lifestyle parameters were assessed in a random sample of 252 GG and 252 GA. Successful aging was evaluated using the validated successful aging index (SAI range 0-10). GA had better financial and educational status and scored higher in all social activity parameters (p 's < 0.05). GA were more likely to be physically active (p < 0.001), had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001) and were less likely to be smoking (p = 0.008). Depression was more evident among GG compared to GA (p < 0.001). GA was aging significantly more successfully than GG (p < 0.001). Men irrespective of location were aging significantly more successfully than women (p < 0.05). Place of residence and personal choices significantly affect the level of healthy aging among people with similar genetic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]