Mediterranean diet for weight loss: effective or not?

What are the staple foods of the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet, described since Antiquity, is based on the significant consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, herbsand the more moderate one of meat, fatty fish and seafood, virgin olive oil. Red wine (in moderate doses) is generally present with meals, prepared at home. The Mediterranean diet is accompanied by a lifestyle that favors social connections, outdoor activities and which benefits from plenty of sunshine.

The Mediterranean diet pyramid

Cretan Diet vs Mediterranean Diet

The Cretan diet came to light in the 1950s when Ancel Keys, a public health professor in Minnesota, and his wife compared cardiovascular mortality over 15 years and the eating habits of 7 Western countries: the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Italy, Japan, Greece. The results reveal that the mortality rate of Cretans is extremely low compared to that of Finns or Americans.

A few years later, the Lyon study followed 600 patients divided into two groups. If the two groups have the same drug treatment, the same is not true for diet. The control group will have a normal diet and the experimental group will be subjected to the Cretan diet. After 27 months, the experimental group experienced an 80% reduction in cardiac events with 8 deaths in the Cretan group compared to 20 in the control group. A conclusion was necessary:Cretan diet protects them from cardiovascular diseases.

The Mediterranean diet differs somewhat from that of the Cretans but uses the same principles. Although the Cretans have the custom of eating nettles, dandelions or amaranth leaves, this is not the case in all countries.

What weight loss with the Mediterranean diet?

Many health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been highlighted, to reduce cognitive decline, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. The advantages of this diet are attributed in part to the presence of good fats (olive oil, but also omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish), and antioxidants from fruits and vegetables.

In addition to its health benefits, the Mediterranean diet may be useful for reducing body weight and adiposity, particularly in the abdominal area, as shown in a meta-analysis of 16 clinical trials (1). However, weight loss remains modest unless caloric intake is reduced at the same time and/or physical activity is increased (see below).

The more you adhere to the Mediterranean diet, the less weight you gain over five years

The Mediterranean diet is in any case an asset to avoid weight gain. “We found that adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of overweight and obesity. Moreover, the more you adhere to the Mediterranean diet, the less your weight gain over five years is significant” explain the authors of a large study published in 2022 (2).

Combining Mediterranean diet and exercise: winning combo

Following a Mediterranean diet and practicing regular physical activity helps you lose 3 to 4 kg on average against 1 to 2 kg in the absence of physical activity (3, 4). With the addition of calorie reduction, it is also a way to lose belly fat.

The Mediterranean diet to lose belly fat

In 2023, a study led by researcher Dora Romaguera from the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute included just over 1,500 people who were overweight or obese and had metabolic syndrome (5). A group of people followed a Mediterranean diet while reducing calories by 30% and increasing physical activity. They were also asked to limit their intake of processed foods, meats, butter, added sugar and to eat more whole grain products rather than refined ones. But the advice did not stop at diet: they were also encouraged to gradually increase their physical activity, with the aim of walk at least 45 minutes a day six days a weekas well as do bodybuilding exercises. A second group of people followed a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction or changes in physical activity.

People who reduced their calories and exercised regularly while adhering to a Mediterranean diet partly lost their abdominal fat and total fatand retained most of this profit for three years. In contrast, people in the other group saw no change in abdominal fat.

Recipe ideas for a Mediterranean diet

What breakfast?

Here are two examples of breakfasts that can be part of a Mediterranean diet:

Breakfast 1

• Seasonal fruit
• Almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts
• Sourdough multigrain bread
• Light coffee or tea

Breakfast 2

• Fried egg cooked in olive oil
• Seed bread
• Light coffee or tea

Source : I eat Mediterranean every day

Meal ideas and menus

A vegetarian Mediterranean meal

• Green salad with beets in oil
• Zucchini and tomato omelette
• Sheep’s cheese and spelled bread

A meal with meat

• Pork tagine with quince
• Purslane salad with walnuts
• Fruit salad

A meal with seafood

• Endive salad with walnuts
• Cuttlefish in potato sauce
• Dried figs

According to I eat Mediterranean every day

Find Mediterranean recipes on our site:

• Eggplant caviar

• Artichokes with broad beans

• Cretan cod

• Chickpea croquettes (falafel)

• Octopus in prison

• Saint Basil Cake

Conclusion: our opinion on the Mediterranean diet for weight loss

The Mediterranean diet is not the most effective for weight loss. To increase its effectiveness, one can exercise and apply calorie restriction. More than a slimming diet, it is a health diet that can be implemented after weight loss in order to avoid gaining back extra pounds.

To go further, read: The 2024 list of slimming diets (subscribers)