Is Olive Oil Making You Fat?

We all know that southern Europeans are some of the hottest and healthiest people in the world, and rightly so, after all the region is the birthplace of beauty and the home of the Mediterranean diet. 

But what if I told you that southern Europe is no longer the land of longevity it once was? And that the poster child of Mediterranean cuisine – olive oil – might be to blame? 

Metabolic disaster in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean has long been seen as a haven of health and beauty, but behind the picture-perfect beaches and the stereotype of sun-kissed, slim people, there is a metabolic crisis brewing.

Southern Europe is no longer a fantasyland where everybody is lean and everything is nutritious. Across the Mediterranean, people are packing on the pounds and developing metabolic disorders at an unprecedented rate. 

The stats don’t lie. 

1. Obesity & childhood obesity

Rates of obesity in the Mediterranean are skyrocketing. 

“But I thought all Italians were skinny?” 

This depends on the data you believe. Nowadays, the slim Italian stereotype is more facade than fact…

According to a 2014 study, Italian women were the thinnest in Europe – only 8.2% of women were clinically obese. However, this study was based on self-reported weight measurements i.e., women were asked to volunteer information about their weight. If that sounds a little sus, that’s because it is.

In a 2018 study that used weight measurements recorded by healthcare professionals, it was found that, in actual fact, 23% of Italian women were clinically obese. In other words, the stereotype that all Italians are skinny is statistically untrue. 

But, rapidly rising obesity levels are not just an issue in Italy. Their Mediterranean neighbors, Spain, are also suffering from a silent obesity epidemic. 

Believe it or not, 25% of Spanish adults are now obese — one of the highest proportions in Europe. 

And it doesn’t stop there. 

Adults are not the only ones being affected by this alarming regional trend.

Surprisingly, Italy has one of highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe at 12.5%, trailing not too far behind Greece (hmm, two nations known for their love of olive oil have some of the most obese kids…strange). 

And, it’s worth noting that Spain isn’t too far behind at 10.8%. 

But, obesity isn’t the only metabolic marker to be concerned about. 

2. Diabetes

If you thought sugar caused diabetes, think again. Diabetes only really became an issue in the 1960s, yet sugar has been around for centuries. Sugar is clearly not the culprit here, something else is.

According to the Diabetes Data Portal, France, Italy, and Spain are experiencing an unprecedented rise in diabetes cases. Delve deeper into the data and it’s clear that Italians and Spaniards are becoming wheezing diabetics at a far more rapid rate than the French. In fact, by 2040, 1 in 8 Spanish adults will have diabetes.

Clearly, something sinister is going on in the south of Europe, and it’s not got anything  to do with sugar…

3. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

With obesity and diabetes rates rising, it’s hardly surprising that NAFLD cases are also increasing in the Mediterranean. In fact, Spain and Italy have some of the highest rates of NAFLD globally.

In 2016, Italy had the second highest rate of NAFLD in the world, just behind the US (predictably lol). However, it is predicted that by 2030, Italy will surpass the US to become the world’s number one nation for NAFLD cases.

Why is this significant? 

Well, because NAFLD is another key marker of metabolic malaise and it signals, yet again, that something very strange is stirring in the Mediterranean. 

So, how can a region that is known for its beauty and bella figura (looking good at all times) be dealing with an obesity epidemic and an impending metabolic health crisis? 

What’s going on?

While processed foods and sedentary lifestyles are partly to blame for the Mediterranean’s metabolic crisis, there is another surprising and sneaky culprit behind the disproportionately rapid rise in metabolic disorders in the region – olive oil. 

Yep, you heard me. This long-standing staple of the Mediterranean diet is secretly sabotaging the metabolism of many southern Europeans.  

The dark side of olive oil

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