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Bye, Bye Mediterranean

The so-called “Mediterranean Diet” has become famous for its healthful qualities, but The New York Times reports that it’s rapidly disappearing from the actual lifestyles of people in Mediterranean countries, as Greeks start adopting more-and-more of an American-style unhealthy diet.

As an American, I suppose it’s somewhat comforting to learn that our bad habits seem to have a quasi-universal gravitational pull and we’re not just a uniquely cursed nation. Conversely, the news that the state of public health in the developed world is likely to deteriorate is pretty disturbing. Figuring out how to make better public health policies in terms of diet and exercise choices — measures that will help/encourage people to eat better and exercise more without unduly burdening individual choice is going to be key to determining our future quality of life.

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